This warming soup is great for your body and soul. It’s the sort of soup that makes you smile. It feels like you’re being wrapped in a vibrantly colored Spanish scarf while sailing in golden sunshine waters off the coast of Morocco, wind gently whipping your hair while you breathe in the salty sea air. At least that’s the sort of calm, at peace happiness I feel when I eat this soup.
It’s packed with good for you (and cheap!) ingredients like…
Carrots- Supports your immune system and eyesight.
Red Lentils- A fantastic source of protein and fiber.
Ginger- Seriously what can’t ginger do? Helps with just about everything from relieving menstrual cramps and nausea to curing a common cold. For a detailed list of benefits check out this link
Curry Powder- Reduces inflammation while aiding digestion.
Garlic- Combats sickness, full of nutrients and medicinal properties.
Cinnamon- Medicinal properties and lowers blood sugar levels.
This is an excellent “feel better” soup, a great alternative to (boring) chicken noodle. It’s also perfect for a light lunch. If you wanted more I think it would be excellent with an arugula salad with a bit of red onion and cucumber.
Also, my boyfriend who hates carrots loved this soup! It does not have a strong carrot taste at all, it’s mostly curry flavor with ginger, garlic and a nuttiness from the lentils.
If you like Indian flavors, I think you would like this soup. I never measure anything but taste along the way. Use your best judgement! Also if you are vegan/paleo, adjustments would absolutely work in this! I would say the only nonnegotiable ingredients are: carrots, red lentils, garlic, fresh ginger, and curry powder. And of course, adjust to your own spice preference. I like a bit of kick and think it goes well with the spicy garlic and ginger notes. The sweet carrots knock it down a little.
Ingredients:
Olive oil/coconut oil
Butter
Carrots
Red lentils
Garlic
Ginger root
Onion
Curry powder
Cumin
Cayenne/Red pepper flakes
Bay leaves
Cinnamon/Nutmeg
Garlic powder
Paprika
Bread
Chickpeas
Method:
Mince the carrots, onion, garlic and ginger
In a large pot, sauté carrots, onion, ginger and garlic in coconut or olive oil. Just use enough oil to coat the bottom so nothing sticks and burns. Add more oil as needed.
Season with curry powder, cumin, cayenne , salt and pepper. It should be about 3:1:1 (curry:cumin:cayenne).
Transfer into a blender and add hot water to the blender. I like to just have my electric kettle ready to boil water as needed. Blend until smooth and add only enough water to allow it to blend easily.
In the original pot, fry a bit more garlic and ginger until garlic is fragrant. Season with a bit more salt and pepper.
Add back in the carrot purée. Add a splash more of boiling water, all the lentils and several bay leaves. If you have stock on hand that would give it a fuller flavor. Give it a quick stir and simmer until lentils are cooked through (taste to check). It should be fairly lentil heavy, I would say if you took a spoonful there should be a layer of lentils covering the spoon.
When lentils are done, stir in a little cinnamon and/or nutmeg. Adjust salt and pepper as needed.
Optional: While lentils are cooking, chop into crouton sized squares any bread you have on hand. In a pan, fry the bread and cooked chickpeas in olive oil and butter. When it’s just about toasted, sprinkle in garlic powder and paprika and toss to combine. Top the soup with a small handful. In addition to these crispy bits, I like to add extra minced garlic and ginger and also some cilantro.
Enjoy!