Cumin, Lentil and Carrot Soup

I got a really good deal on carrots, and had a ton to use up. I wanted to make a carrot soup, and found this Spiced Lentil and Carrot soup recipe to try. I made a few changes, and it was delicious. All three boys ate it right up!

To start with, I wanted to have leftovers, so I made the recipe bigger (not quite double). Here's my recipe:

Cumin, Lentil and Carrot Soup 

4 tsp cumin seeds
pinch of chilli flakes
~1 Tbs oil
1 med to large onion chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
~ 1 Kg carrots, washed and chopped or grated.
270 g red split lentils
~2 liters water or vegetable stock
squeeze of lemon juice
salt to taste

1.  Heat a large saucepan/small stockpot and dry fry the cumin seeds and chilli flakes for about 1 minute, or until they start to jump around the pan and release their aromas. Remove the seeds and set aside. Heat the oil in the pot, and then saute the onion and then garlic, until soft and golden brown (about 5 minutes). Add the carrots and continue to sweat the vegetables until the carrots are beginning to get soft. Add the lentils, and cook for a minute stirring.

2. Add the water or stock and half of the toasted cumin seeds/chilli flakes, bring to the boil, then lower the heat to a simmer. Simmer for about 15-30 minutes, or until carrots and lentils are soft (it depends on how small the carrots are chopped/grated).

2. Remove from heat, and using an immersion blender, puree the soup. (You could blend it in batches in a regular blender as well.)  Season with salt and fresh lemon juice to taste.  Serve soup hot, garnished with the reserved cumin seeds.

Red Lentil, Sweet Potato and Carrot Soup

This soup is very simple to make, but very tasty. You can serve it as a starter, but is substantial enough for a main course served with warm pita bread and a side salad. It may also benefit from some garlic croutons or something crunchy to contrast with the smooth texture of the soup.

1 bulb of garlic
1 large onion, chopped
3 large carrots, peeled and roughly chopped
2 sweet potatoes, peeled and roughly chopped
1 stalk of celery, chopped
2 cups red lentils
1 inch piece of ginger, peeled
2 bay leaves
1 sprig of fresh thyme
2 tsp ground cumin (or more to taste)
1 tsp ground coriander (or more to taste)
1 14 ounce can tomatoes

Wrap the bulb of garlic in foil and roast in a 350 F oven for about 20-30 minutes until garlic is soft. Cut the bottom off, and squeeze the garlic out.

Add all ingredients above in a large pot and cover with water until it's 2 to 3 inches above the vegetables. Bring to a gentle boil, reduce heat and simmer for at least 30 minutes. Carrots should be soft enough that they can be mashed against the side of the pot with a fork. Remove from heat, and remove ginger, thyme sprig and bay leaves from the soup. Let the soup cool for about 10 minutes.

Using a hand blender, puree the soup directly in the pot until it is a smooth consistency. (You could also blend in a blender in small batches.) If it is too thick, you can add more water. Add juice of 1/2 lemon and salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.


juice of 1/2 lemon
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste