Spiced Carrot and Lentil Soup

I am always on the look out for new recipes that are healthy and easy enough that I can knock them up with relative ease.  It's definitely bonus if I can remember what I need for a particular meal when I'm out at the supermarket too. I'm sure l can't be the only one that has all good intentions for planning meals properly, writing out a shopping list with each day planned out carefully and well in advance but real life often gets in the way and I rarely actually manage that so this is a great one if you have a bag of carrots in the fridge and a can of coconut milk in your pantry. It's a really hearty soup and my whole family LOVES it!

Ingredients

 

1 tablespoon Olive Oil

1 Small Onion (I always use red but you can use either)

Pinch of Ground Nutmeg

1 teaspoon of Mild Curry Powder

8 decent sized Carrots (6 roughly chopped – 2 finely diced)

370ml Vegetable stock

55g Red lentils

3 tablespoons Coconut Milk

30ml Single Cream (optional)

1 tablespoon fresh coriander/ cilantro (chopped)

 

Cook time: 55 mins

Serves: - 4

 

Heat the oil gently in a saucepan, then add the onion, nutmeg and curry powder.  Fry gently for 5-10 minutes, or until the onion is soft.

 

Add the roughly chopped carrots and stock, then bring to the boil and simmer gently for 20 minutes.

 

Take off the heat and blend until smooth.

 

Return to the heat, then add the red lentils and diced carrots.  Bring back to the boil, then simmer gently for a further 20 minutes.

 

Add the coconut milk, cream (if you wish) and coriander / cilantro, then simmer for a further 5 minutes.

 

Season to taste and serve with your favourite crusty bread!

 

I've played around with this recipe a little - and its easy to do without ruining the soup.  Yesterday I hadn't realized that I had run out of lentils before starting.  My boys missed them but truthfully, it was fine without them.  

I have also used up celery by adding it in with the carrots at the start and if you want to bulk the soup out a bit or make it go further you could also add celeriac.

Enjoy and let me know what you think!!!