Red Lentil Soup

Pea soup and Ham has always been a favourite of ours and this one could be a new favourite.Not really dinner party food but a nice hearty lunch or maybe easy Sunday dinner.


This really cries out for soldiers of hot buttered toast


I have made a few changes to the recipe using food from the fridge or pantry.
I had run out of curry powder so used turmeric and some cayenne.
My coriander was very sad couldn't revive it so I used parsley
The soup still tasted great like this but I have given the original recipe, the coriander and curry powder will give another dimension


55gms unsalted butter
1½ tablespoons grated fresh ginger
¼ teaspoons each ground allspice, ground cumin, and chili powder
½ teaspoons each curry powder and ground coriander
2 onions finely chopped
1 parsnip, chopped
1 stick celery
1kg carrots, sliced
1 swede peeled and chopped

85gms split red lentils, rinsed
25gms long-grain rice
1.7 litres vegetable/chicken stock
400ml tin coconut milk
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
3 tablespoons chopped coriander

Method
Melt the butter in a heavy-based pan and add the ginger, allspice, cumin, chili powder, curry powder, and ground coriander.
Cook over a low heat for three minutes, stirring continuously.
Add the vegetables,
Stir to combine, and cook for a further eight minutes.

Stir in the lentils and rice before adding the stock.
Bring to the boil and simmer for 30 minutes or until the vegetables are tender and the lentils have started to break down.
Blend the soup in a liquidiser or food processor until smooth.
Return to the heat and add the coconut milk, lime juice, and coriander.
Heat through but do not let it boil again. Serve immediately.



A little aside.
I really think this soup would be even more flavourful after a couple of days...but I didn’t get a chance to find out. The next day I turned on the gas to gently reheat it before storing in the fridge. Got ready to go out. Went out and came home 5 hours later to a house smelling of strongly singed lentil soup.
A lucky break... the house didn’t burn down and I managed to revive the pot this morning. Someone up there was looking after me.