Carrot and lentil soup

Use orange or red lentils, try adding a couple of tablespoons of good-quality curry powder to the onions at the early stage of cooking.

Serves 4

3 tsp olive oil

1 red onion, chopped

1 garlic clove, chopped

2 tsp sun-dried/reg tomato purée

1lb carrots, chopped

8 red lentils, rinsed and drained

32-40oz chicken stock or veg

4oz plain yoghurt

a handful of fresh coriander leaves, chopped

Heat the oil in a heavy-based saucepan over med/high heat. Adddd the onion and garlic and cook for 4-5 minutes, stirring often. Add the tomato purée and stir-fry for one minute. Add the carrots, lentils and stock to the pan and bring to the boil.


Cook at a rapid simmer for 20-40 minutes, until the lentils are soft. Spoon the soup, in batches, into a food processor or blender and process until smooth(I would not bother with this step myself).

Return the soup to a clean saucepan and cook over a low heat for a few minutes, until heated through.Serve with dollops of yoghurt and the coriander sprinkled on top.

Serve with crusty fresh bread and green salad, dinner is served!