Last week saw the start of a new soup section on a Wee Pinch of Sugar, aimed at bringing lots of healthy ideas for a range of seasonal soups. With the stormy winter weather battering us this week, we all need a bit of extra heat and comfort, so a pot of hearty and warming soup with a few added spices, is just what the doctor ordered.
I’ve chosen my spicy lentil soup this week and with ingredients like fresh ginger, cumin and coriander it’s guaranteed to warm you up. If you fancy some extra heat, do what my boys do and add chopped fresh chilli or a sprinkling of chilli flakes to serve.
Spicy and warming lentil soup ticks all the boxes for a bowl of magic medicine.
There are a lot of health benefits in this soup, lentils are a good source of protein and with the addition of the spices and the vegetables, I’d say it’s definitely a bowl of magic medicine. Firstly, ginger, good for the circulation and digestion, along with garlic for it’s anti bacterial and anti fungal qualities. Cumin and coriander, described by my friend Yasmin at Scotia Spice as being the ying and yang of spices. Used together they are calming, bring balance and are also good for the digestion. The vegetables of course add the body to the soup and bring their own health benefits. Carrots are a good source of vitamin A and celery, vitamin C and a gentle diuretic. Why not cook up a pot of this to warm the family up this week.
| Servings | Prep Time |
| 4 people | 10 minutes |
| Cook Time |
| 30 minutes |
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This spicy and warming lentil soup is packed full of goodness and is guaranteed to keep you warm during the cold weather. Serve with either crusty bread, chapatis or similar Asian or middle eastern breads. Garam Masala sprinkled over the soup will also add some extra spicy flavour.
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- 1 tbsp rapeseed oil
- 1 medium large onion, finely chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, crushed or chopped
- 2 -3 tbsp ginger, finely grated
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp corriander
- 225 g red lentils Mixed lentils such as red and brown also work well.
- 2 medium carrots, chopped
- 2 sticks celery, chopped
- 1 litre chicken or vegetable stock Add extra stock if you feel the soup is too thick.
- Fresh chopped corriander to serve optional
- Heat the oil over a medium heat in a large pan.
- Add the onion and cook gently for 5 minutes. Add the garlic and ginger and cook for a further 1 minute.
- Add the spices, stir to mix well and cook for 1 minute.
- Add the lentils, carrots, celery and stock and cook for approximately 25 - 30 minutes until the lentils are cooked and the vegetables are tender.
- At this stage the soup can be blended, part blended or served as it is.
- Serve sprinkled with chopped fresh coriander and garam masala if using.
I’ll be checking out this weeks veg bag to see what seasonal vegetables will be making the next hearty winter soup.