SPICED LENTIL & CARROT SOUP

A quick and simple, healthy, fresh, and flavourful soup, infused with a delightful Indian spice aroma from cumin and coriander - and a delicious whole-food plant-based dish!

There's nothing quite like a hearty comfort soup, especially during the chilly winter months, and particularly, when you are on a diet...

Every year in January or February we try to fit in a couple of weeks of Detox* dieting, with the goal of eliminating the 'sins' accumulated during Christmas and throughout the year from our bodies and waistlines.

This means a pure plant-based diet, and on top of that: no pasta or bread, no sugar, salt, or fat, no caffeine, black tea or wine (is wine not plant-based???) - and: no chocolate: OUCH!

The diet is whole-food plant based, which means we also avoid any processed foods, as well as plant-based processed products.*

(*I am an enthusiastic follower of the Detox Diet, but not an expert. Please check online for more detailed information.)

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So what's left? Well, everything else!!!

Legumes, vegetables, salads, fruits, nuts, seeds, fruit teas, smoothies, (banana N'ice cream - hurray!) and the list goes on! We have never gone hungry during this period, but managed to loose a significant amount of weight every time, and always felt bright-eyed and bushy-tailed at the end.

After the low-caffein-brain headaches have gone, which may take a week, it's not as daunting as it seems, especially once you have accumulated a collection of delicious plant-based recipes.

Also, one of my secrets to keep us happy and going during this time, is to switch flavour profiles and textures. I would apply the same basic recipe method, but with different flavour profiles: take lentils for example: they can be made Austrian-style, flavoured with onions and mustard, Punjabi-style, a more elaborate version with Indian spices, Italian-style with tomatoes, Mexican-style, the list goes one. The same can be made as a soup, a pureed soup, a sauce, a burger, a filling, etc...

This super easy and quick Spiced Lentil & Carrot Soup is a perfect example of how spices can transform a couple of basic plant-based ingredients into a flavourful and interesting dish.

The original recipe is from Carol Vorderman's: 'Detox Recipes' book. A dietitian friend of mine suggested both the diet and the book to me many years ago, and that's when I made the recipe for the first time. It has since become a staple and go-to dish in our house all year long, and all the family love it. It's great when you want to include legumes in your diet at any time of year. It's also a kind of pantry dish that I can rustle up in the last minute, as I almost always have red lentils, carrots, and onions at home.

Carol Vorderman states in her book: "lentils contain protein and complex carbohydrates, soluble fibre, iron and B-Vitamins. The carrots are rich in beta-carotene that helps to protect from cancer and also benefits the skin..." So all the more reason to make this delicious soup...

Spiced Lentil & Carrot Soup is super-easy and fast to prepare: the onion and garlic are fried, then the lentils, carrots, spices and liquid added, and the soup is left to cook until the lentils and carrots are soft. I believe the original recipe said to puree the soup, but I prefer the chew and crunch of the lentils and carrots.

Eva oxoxo

Here's how to make it:

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SPICED LENTIL & CARROT SOUP

Recipe Source:  Carol Vorderman's: 'Detox Recipes' book

Ingredients:

Makes 6-8 portions:

 (the recipe can be halved, but I recommend the amount as stated below, as the soup warms up well on the next day)

• 2 onions, peeled and finely diced

• 3 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed

• 4 carrots, peeled and cut into thin rounds

• 2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (omit for a Detox-version, see *Note in the recipe below)

• 2 teaspoons ground cumin

• 2 teaspoons ground coriander

• 300 g dry red lentils

• 2 litres vegetable stock (or prepare from stock cubes following packet instructions)

• freshly milled black pepper to taste

• optional: juice of 1 lemon

• sea salt (omit for a Detox version)

Equipment needed: large pot

Directions:

1. Gather all the ingredients.

   
   

2. Cut the vegetables: Finely dice 2 onions. Peel and crush 3 garlic cloves. Wash and clean 4 carrots, and cut them into thin rounds.

   
   

3. Prepare the vegetable stock: Heat 2 litres of vegetable stock or prepare if from stock cubes.

   
   

4. Sweat the onions and garlic in oil: Heat 2 Tablespoons of olive oil in a large saucepan. Sweat the diced onions together with a pinch of salt over medium-low heat for app. 10 minutes until soft and translucent, stirring occasionally. Add 3 crushed cloves of garlic and fry for another minute until fragrant, making sure not to burn it.

   *Note: for a Detox-version, you can also omit the oil: fry the onion with a pinch of salt in a little water until translucent, adding additional water little by little and as necessary to keep the onion moist. Carrots do need a little fat though so we can absorb their benefits, so I always use a small amount of oil for frying. Alternatively, just add a bit of extra virgin olive oil on top of the soup later.

   
   

5. Add the spices: Add 2 teaspoons ground cumin and 2 teaspoons ground coriander and cook for 1 minute, stirring continuously.

   
   

6. Add the carrots, lentils and vegetable stock: Add 4 thinly sliced carrots, 300 g red lentils and 2 litres vegetable stock. Bring to a boil, skimming off any foam that accumulates on the surface, then reduce the heat and simmer for 30-35 until the lentils are cooked and turn just a bit mushy.

   
   

7. Check for seasoning: Season with freshly ground black pepper and additional stock cube (or salt) if necessary. Optional: add lemon juice.

   
   

8. Serve: Serve in warmed soup bowls with a slice of lemon on the side.