Spiced Carrot and Lentil Soup

Spiced Carrot and Lentil Soup, warming and filling, packed with flavour and so tasty. Perfect for a cosy lunch or supper.

This spiced carrot and lentil soup is like a lovely hug in a bowl! Cosy, warming, filling and easy to make, it’s the perfect soup for chilly Autumn days. Packed with warming spices like garam masala and cumin and with a gentle hint of chilli this soup is a treat for the senses. I love the aroma that fills my kitchen when I make this!

How to Make Spiced Carrot and Lentil Soup:

1. Start by sweating the onion and celery, heat the oil in a large saucepan then add the chopped onion and celery. Cook these for about 10 minutes stirring often so the onion doesn’t burn! Then add the garlic, the chopped cilantro/coriander stems and the spices and cook for just a minute, giving the pot a good stir.
2. Next, add the chopped carrots and stir everything together. Pour in the chopped tomatoes and the vegetable stock and stir everything together.
3. Now add the lentils, simply drop them into the soup. Pop a lid on the saucepan, reduce the heat and simmer for about 30 minutes.
4. The soup is done once the carrots are tender and the lentils are cooked. Blend the soup with a hand-held blender until it is smooth. Serve it with a good dollop of Greek yoghurt and crusty bread.

Tips for Making your Best Ever Spiced Carrot and Lentil Soup:

• I use large orange carrots for this, they are always peeled for this recipe. When buying carrots make sure they are firm to the touch and are bright orange in colour. The skin should smooth skin. Avoid any carrots that are limp or black near the tops.
• Red split lentils are a great choice for this soup. They are a store cupboard ingredient and are really cheap. You could use canned green lentils if you like, just be aware the colour 0f the soup may be different. If you want to use Puy lentils I would blend the soup first then add the lentils and cook until they are hot.
• I make my vegetable stock using a low sodium vegan vegetable bouillon. Any premade stock will do but I would try and keep it low sodium and double-check the packet to make sure it is vegetarian/vegan.
• What is Garam Masala? Garam masala is a blend of ground spices used in Indian cuisine. The spices for garam masala are usually toasted to bring out more flavour and aroma. You should find it in the spice section of your local supermarket. If you can’t find it you can make your mix, you can find a recipe for that here.

Serving, Storing and Freezing

We usually have this for lunch, but it’s filling enough that I’ve had it for dinner too. Just serve it with some good crusty bread and a dollop of Greek Yoghurt and you’re done! If you have any leftover just pop it in the fridge once it has cooled, it will keep for 3 days, reheat it on the hob. You can freeze this soup too if you want, once it’s cooled pour the soup into freezer-friendly bags or containers and freeze. It will keep for up to 3 months. Defrost it in the fridge overnight then reheat it on the hob until it is piping hot.

More Tasty Soups You May Enjoy:

• Spicy Cauliflower Soup
• Autumn Squash Soup
• Creamy Broccoli & Cauliflower Soup
• Spiced Carrot and Coriander Soup

Spiced Carrot and Lentil Soup

Spiced Carrot and Lentil Soup is a warming filling soup, packed with flavour. Perfect for a cosy lunch or supper.

5 from 8 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: Lunch

Cuisine: Vegetarian

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 45 minutes

Servings: 6

Calories: 112kcal

Author: Michelle Alston

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 medium white onion (195g) finely chopped
• 1 stalk of celery finely chopped
• 2 cloves of garlic minced
• A small handful of fresh cilantro/coriander leaves removed and stems finely chopped
• 1 heaped tsp Garam Masala
• 1 heaped tsp ground cumin
• 1/4 tsp dried red chilli flakes
• 3 large carrots (.92lb/415g) topped and tailed, peeled then roughly chopped
• 1 14.5 oz can of diced tomatoes / 1 x 400g can of chopped tomatoes (UK)
• 4 cups of vegetable stock (900ml)
• 3/4 cup of red split lentils (100g)
• 1/4 tsp sea salt
• 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• Greek yoghurt and cilantro leaves to serve

Instructions

• Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large saucepan. Add the chopped onion and celery and cook for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add 2 cloves of minced garlic the chopped cilantro/coriander stems along with 1/4 teaspoon of dried red chilli flakes, 1 heaped teaspoon each of Garam Masala and ground cumin. Stir well and cook for just one minute, any longer and the spices will burn.
• Add the chopped carrots and pour in the chopped tomatoes and the vegetable stock.

  Stir everything together then add the lentils. Stir well, reduce the heat and simmer, covered, for about 30 minutes. The soup is ready once the carrots are tender and the lentils are cooked.
• Blend the soup with a hand-held blender until it is smooth. Finely chop the cilantro/coriander leaves.

  Serve it with a good dollop of Greek yoghurt, chopped cilantro/coriander and some good crusty bread.

Notes

1. Nutritional Information - information listed is approximate and is calculated using an online nutrition tool. It does not include Greek yoghurt or bread. If you want to reduce the calories in this then you could swap the olive oil for a couple of sprays of olive oil. You could also use fat-free Greek yoghurt as a topping.
2. Carrots - I use large orange carrots for this, they are always peeled for this recipe.
3. Lentils - Red split lentils are a great choice for this soup. They are a store cupboard ingredient and are really cheap. You could use canned green lentils if you wish, please be aware that the colour of the soup may be different to that pictured of you use green lentils. If you want to use Puy lentils I would blend the soup first then add the lentils and cook until they are hot.
4. Stock - I make my vegetable stock using a low sodium vegan vegetable bouillon. Any premade stock will do but I would try and keep it low sodium and double-check the packed to make sure it is vegetarian/vegan.
5. Can I make it Gluten-Free? Yes, just make sure the stock you use is gluten-free.
6. Is it Vegan? Yes, the soup itself is vegan, I haven't categorized it as vegan as I have included Greek yoghurt as a topping.
7. Can I Freeze this Soup? Yes, leave the soup to cool then transfer it to freezer-friendly bags or containers. Label the containers then pop in the freezer. Defrost the soup overnight in the fridge then reheat on the hob until piping hot.

Nutrition

Calories: 112kcal | Carbohydrates: 17.8g | Protein: 5.6g | Fat: 2.8g | Saturated Fat: 0.4g | Sodium: 185mg | Potassium: 453mg | Fiber: 2.8g | Sugar: 5g | Calcium: 41mg | Iron: 2mg

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