We usually round off our gardening sessions with lunch and in the winter it’s generally a warming soup. This carrot, lentil and sweetcorn soup is a firm favourite at the end of a cold morning’s gardening.
Serves 4
Ingredients
- 250g red split lentils, washed
- 2tbs sunflower or olive oil
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 2 to 3 cloves of garlic, crushed
- 50g ginger, peeled and finely chopped
- 1tsp smoked paprika
- 1tsp cumin
- Pinch crushed chillies
- Salt & black pepper, to taste
- 5 large carrots, grated
- 1 x 400ml can of coconut milk
- 250g frozen sweetcorn
- Handful of fresh coriander, chopped
- Salt & black pepper to taste.
Method
- Add the lentils to a medium size pan, cover with water and heat. Boil for 10mins, then reduce the heat and simmer for a further 10mins. Set aside.
- Heat the oil in a pan large pan. Add the onion, garlic and ginger and fry for 3 to 4mins or until the onion is translucent. Then add paprika, cumin and crushed chillies and fry, stirring, for another 2 to 3mins. Finally, stir in the carrots and fry for two to three minutes.
- Add the coconut milk and enough water to cover the soup ingredients. Bring to the boil then simmer for 10 to 15mins. Stir in the frozen sweetcorn and cook until the mixture comes back to the boil. Then add the coriander and cook, simmering, for 2 to 3 mins.
- Remove the pan from the heat and allow to cool. Then blitz the mixture with a hand blender or food processor. Add the cooked lentils, reheat and serve.
Tip
This soup will keep in the fridge for a couple of days, and tastes even better when made in advance – so always worth doubling the ingredients in the recipe.