Curried Carrot & Lentil Soup
A warming bowl of spicy roasted carrot soup with deliciously nutritious lentils mixed through - the perfect winter evening dish. Adjust the spice level to your taste and feel free to substitute the cream for coconut milk to make this a delicious vegan dish.
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Ingredients
Roasted Curried Carrots
- 2 Tbsp Olive Oil
- 1 tsp Medium Curry Powder Add more or less depending on the heat level you like
- ½ tsp Masala or Mother in Laws Spice* (* See notes)
- ¼ tsp Ground Cinnamon*
- ¼ tsp Ground Ginger*
- ¼ tsp Turmeric*
- 1 Dash of ground nutmeg*
- 1 Dash of ground all spice*
- 1 tsp Brown Sugar* Optional
- 5 Large Carrots (approx 700g) Scrubbed and chopped to dice size (peeling optional)
- 2 Cloves of garlic Roughly chopped
- Salt to taste
Lentils
- ½ Cup Dried brown lentils If using tinned lentils skip this section
- 3 Cups Water
- ½ tsp Medium Curry Powder
- ½ tsp Vegetable Stock Powder/Granules
- 1 tsp Salt
Soup
- 1 Tbsp Olive Oil
- ½ Onion Finely chopped
- 4-6 Cups Vegetable Stock I use good quality preservative free vegetable stock powder and water (check the pack instructions for the amount of stock to water if using the same)
- 1 Cup Fresh Cream (250ml) Or coconut milk for a vegan version
- Salt and freshly ground Black Pepper to taste
Instructions
Roasted Curried Carrots
- Preheat the oven to 200°C
- Add the olive oil, spices and sugar to a large oven dish
- Add the diced carrots and garlic, sprinkle or grind a little salt over, then mix through until well coated
- Roast for 20 - 25 minutes until the carrots start turning tender and roasty
Lentils
- If using tinned/canned lentils you can skip this section
- Add the lentils, curry powder, stock powder/granules and water to a saucepan. Bring to a boil then reduce the temperature slightly and simmer for around 20 - 25 minutes until tender
- Add the salt 5 minutes before the end of the cooking time. When tender, drain and set aside
Soup
- When the carrots are ready remove from the oven and set aside
- Place a large pot with 1 tablespoon of olive oil on medium heat. Add the finely chopped onion and soften a little for a couple of minutes (do not brown)
- Add the roasted carrots to the pot and mix through. Add the stock, ensuring that the carrots are well covered. As I use powdered/granulated stock, I like to sprinkle the powder over the carrots and mix through before adding the water as I find it adds more flavour to the veg. But feel free to mix it before adding to the pot or using liquid veggie stock
- Cook for around 15 minutes on medium heat. You want a steady simmer not a rolling boil
- If using tinned/canned lentils, drain and set aside
- After the soup has cooked for the fifteen minutes, remove from the heat and blend, either using a hand/stick (immersion) blender or a standard blender. If using a standard blender, remember to remove the middle section from the lid to prevent the steam building up and causing an 'explosion'. Blend until you achieve your desired smoothness
- Return to the pot and set on the stove again. I do not usually turn the heat on as the residual heat is usually enough to keep the soup warm. If not, or if you have prepped the soup early, heat through on a low temperature
- Add ⅔ of the lentils to the soup and mix through. Set the remaining lentils aside if you wish for decorating later. (If you want a smooth soup you can add all or just the ⅔ lentils to the soup before blending. This could be useful if the kiddos don't like lentils. Note though that blending the lentils will change the colour of the soup a bit)
- Add the cream and stir through until combined. Taste the soup at this point to check if it needs extra seasoning. Be sure not to bring the soup to a boil after adding the cream as it will curdle/split
- Serve warm with the lentils you set aside earlier. I like to add a sprinkling of freshly chopped parsley or coriander, and on occassion some toasted shredded coconut
Notes
*You can omit the extra spices if you wish and only use curry powder. I like to use this combination of spices with any curry dish as I find it gives a fuller, more fragrant and balanced curry flavour. Please use what you prefer or what you have, or give this combination a try and let me know what you think.
Adjust the spice level to your taste and feel free to substitute the cream for coconut milk to make this a delicious vegan dish.
Feel free to use canned/tinned lentils if you wish. I don't mind using dried lentils for this recipe as brown lentils don't require soaking overnight and cook in the same time as the carrots roast, so it doesn't take much extra effort.
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