Curried Scottish Carrot and Lentil Soup

Serves	4
Prep time	5 hours
Cook time	30 minutes
Total time	5 hours, 30 minutes
Dietary	Vegetarian
Meal type	Appetizer, Lunch, Main Dish, Side Dish, Snack, Soup, Starter
Misc	Child Friendly, Pre-preparable, Serve Hot
Occasion	Casual Party, Christmas, Formal Party, Halloween, Thanksgiving
Region	British
By author	Karen S Burns-Booth

A delicious soup with a hint of curry and spices that will warm you up on a cold day. Serve with crusty bread and/or croutons.

Ingredients

4 large carrots (peeled and finely diced)
1 large potato (peeled and finely diced)
2 small onions (peeled and finely diced)
2 to 3 tablespoons rapeseed oil (or vegetable oil)
2 teaspoons curry powder
1 teaspoon cumin powder
100g red lentils (rinsed)
600ml vegetable stock
salt and pepper, to season
4 tablespoons single cream (or crème fraîche)

Note

I used Scotty Brand Carrots and Kestrel Potatoes, hence the soup being called Scottish! Use any good ingredients local to you. Do NOT allow to soup to boil.

Directions

Step 1	In a large saucepan, add the rapeseed oil and heat over a medium heat; then add the carrots, potato and onions and gently sauté for about 10 minutes, or until the onions are soft and the carrots and potatoes have lost their bite.
Step 2	Add the curry powder and cumin powder and cook for 1 minute. Then add the lentils and stir them in to the vegetables before adding the stock. Place the lid on the saucepan and lower the heat, and simmer the soup for 20 minutes, or until the vegetables and lentils are cooked.
Step 3	Season to taste with salt and pepper, and add the cream or crème fraîche. Stir well. Take off the heat and with a stick blender or handheld blender, blend the soup until it is thick and smooth.
Step 4	Place the soup back on to a low to medium heat and bring back to a gentle simmer, do NOT allow to boil. Ladle the soup into warmed soup bowls and serve hot with bread and/or croutons.