This week we’re eating… brown lentil and vegetable soup
Back in the summer, I bought a bag of brown lentils with the intention of making some lentil burgers out of them. Well, life got in the way and, four months later, they were still sat unopened in the back of the cupboard.
Until this week, that is. I’m currently on a mission to clear some cupboard space in the run up to Christmas – and, as I also had half a bag of carrots and a bag of green beans in the fridge that were about it to pass their best, I thought I’d make a soup combining them all.
The result is this slightly spicy brown lentil and vegetable soup. It has such a hearty, warming flavour to it and with winter well and truly on its way, it has been the perfect lunch-time dish for us these last few days. It’s also packed full of protein, iron and B vitamins from the lentils and all manner of other vitamins from the vegetables. You could just as easily make this dish with red or green lentils instead, but I like the earthy flavour of brown. Just remember, lentils need to be rinsed in cold water and drained before cooking.
Here’s how you make it.
Ingredients – serves 4
250g brown lentils (rinsed and drained)
1 onion, diced
2 cloves of garlic, crushed
1 carrot, diced
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground turmeric
1 tsp ground cardamom
Juice of half a lime
75g green beans, finely chopped
4 tomatoes, roughly chopped
800ml vegetable stock
Salt and pepper to season
To make
- In a large saucepan, gently fry the onions and garlic in a little oil, on a low heat, until soft.
- Add the carrots, green beans and spices and cook on a low heat for 10 minutes.
- Add the tomatoes, lentils and stock, bring to the boil and simmer for 40 minutes, until the lentils have burst and are soft.
- Blend to a smooth but slightly chunky texture, so that some of the vegetables are still in tact.
- Season to taste with salt and pepper, and serve.
I hope you like it. Let me know if you give it a go on the Cardiff Mummy Says Facebook page, by tweeting me on @cardiffmummy or in the comments section below.
You can see all of my recipes on the food section of my blog or you can follow my Cardiff Mummy Says This Week We’re Eating board on Pinterest. There’s more foodie inspiration on my Instgram account.
You might also like: super easy tomato, chick pea and spinach soup; red lentil dhal; sweet potato, spinach and chick pea curry.
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