Spiced carrot & lentil soup

Spiced carrot & lentil soup

A delicious, spicy blend, packed full of iron and low fat to boot. It's ready in under half an hour or can be made in a slow cooker

Difficulty and servings

Easy

Serves 4

Preparation and cooking times

Preparation time

Prep 10 mins

Cook time

Cook 15 mins

Vegetarian Freezable

Vegetarian, Dairy-free

To make dairy-free, see 'Try' below

Method

  1. Heat a large saucepan and dry-fry the cumin seeds and chilli flakes for 1 min, or until they start to jump around the pan and release their aromas. Scoop out about half of the seeds with a spoon and set aside. Add the oil, carrot, lentils, stock and milk to the pan and bring to the boil. Simmer for 15 mins until the lentils have swollen and softened.
  2. Whizz the soup with a stick blender or in a food processor until smooth (or leave it chunky if you prefer). Season to taste and finish with a dollop of yogurt and a sprinkling of the reserved toasted spices. Serve with warmed naan breads.
Try

Make it Moroccan

Substitute the chilli flakes and cumin seeds for a few teaspoons of harissa paste. You could add cooked shredded chicken at the end of cooking, too.

IF YOU WANT TO USE A SLOW COOKER...

Place half the cumin seeds, half the chilli flakes, the oil, carrots, lentils and 700ml stock into your slow cooker pot. Cover and cook on High for 3 hours until the lentils are tender. Dry-fry the remaining cumin seeds and chilli flakes just until fragrant. When the lentils are done, stir in the milk and whizz up the soup depending on how chunky you'd like it.

Make it dairy-free

For a richer but dairy-free alternative, use a can of reduced-fat coconut milk instead of the milk.

238 kcalories, protein 11g, carbohydrate 34g, fat 7 g, saturated fat 1g, fibre 5g, salt 0.25 g

Recipe from Good Food magazine, October 2005.

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Latest comments and suggestions

Results 1-20

  • 2007-11-01 21:45:01.194779

    MsVanDeKamp rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    I love this soup, it's warming and so easy to make, and helps to use up the lentils I have in my storecupboard. It does need extra stock though when reheating from frozen.

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  • 2007-11-06 21:12:08.233244

    lyndsey rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    Simple, quick, store-cupboard, healthy, freezable - excellent meal for the kids as well with a bit of bread. My 15 month old lapped it up and so did the parents (with some naan bread)

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  • 2007-11-07 02:46:33.952256

    msmooo commented on this recipe

    Have made this many times, have even used ground cumin, when I have run out of the cumin seeds. A good tasty hearty soup, with inexpensive ingredients.

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  • 2007-11-08 13:45:30.530668

    Lisa rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    This is one of my all time favourite soups! It is hearty but with a slight kick and is very filling. I have also had orders from my work mates to make them up a batch!

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  • 2007-11-08 21:06:40.807893

    vykisparkes rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    I didn't have any red split lentils, so used some quick cook lentils vertes (waitrose 113) because they are meant to cook in 15 minutes. To be honest I added another five minutes and they could have still done with a bit longer to really break down and make a proper soup. As a result the consistency was a lot chunkier, and not properly blended so was a little bit like mush with water, but still tasted great! The lentils are quite nutty so added quite a lot to the soup. I added a celery stick (because I am trying to use it up), would probably leave it out next time. Would definitely make again, with red lentils this time to see how that comes out. Great for midweek dinner, very easy to knock up, especially with shredding attachment on food processor!

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  • 2007-11-13 12:56:14.637235

    Chad rated this recipe

    4 stars

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  • 2007-11-19 08:26:35.992088

    Natasha commented on this recipe

    This is great. Made it last week for a dinner party and everyone loved it. I added a bit more chilli and no cream which made it great starter and not so filling or heavy.

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  • 2007-11-19 08:27:02.989296

    Natasha rated this recipe

    4 stars

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  • 2007-12-01 17:34:03.7773

    Susie rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    Very quick and ridiculously easy with storecupboard ingredients. Served with naan this spicy soup is a warming and filling winter dinner. I used ready cooked lentils from a jar, and just added them before I whizzed the soup. My husband is usually sceptical about soup, but this one he simply loved!

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  • 2008-01-02 15:48:35.052431

    ruth rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    So easy, I make it a lot. Everyone eats it happily, including fussy toddlers and teenagers!

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  • 2008-01-05 14:41:52.617676

    GoodFood commented on this recipe

    Also loved this soup. I made a huge batch for friends one winter evening and added some pototoes to make it less sweet. Still came out well.

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  • 2008-01-10 14:01:49.406011

    linsdindins rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    super soup.someone who does not like carrots eat this.

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  • 2008-01-11 09:35:09.245869

    Jennie commented on this recipe

    Really lovely, warming soup, perfect when you're feeling ill. Have also made it with the addition of a parsnip when I didn't have enough carrots, and added a bit more spice and it tasted great.

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  • 2008-01-11 21:19:39.713546

    Barney commented on this recipe

    couldnt believe something so easy to make could be so delicious. Even the children loved it. Will definitely be making this again

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  • 2008-01-20 16:23:19.243225

    blulou rated and commented on this recipe

    4 stars

    Took note of the tips, added a bit more spice etc. Was a big hit at my other half's work place when he couldnt finish it!

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  • 2008-01-27 16:00:36.076534

    Kate rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    Great recipe, really easy to make and lovely with the extra kick of the spices. Comes out quite thick so added some extra stock for my fussy other half. Def recommended!

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  • 2008-01-28 13:59:32.885399

    beckypirate rated and commented on this recipe

    4 stars

    Very easy to make, just put it all in a pan and simmer. I loved it as it was, although I would add more stock next time as other people have already commented, as my family wanted it thinner. Ground spices work fine, although green lentils give it a strange colour, so use red definitely as I did the second time i made it, and will do in future!

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  • 2008-02-06 15:51:39.306195

    JonJon commented on this recipe

    Tastes great this one. Only use red lentils though because other lentils don't look right! I make this all the time and it's great if you are sitting in on a cold day. Definitely make this again!

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  • 2008-02-11 21:50:37.659545

    Kat13mar rated and commented on this recipe

    4 stars

    Very nice will make again.

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  • 2008-03-19 22:47:31.96123

    Adie commented on this recipe

    Much less time consuming if you chop the carrots into chunks and cook for ten mins first before adding the lentils. Personally I cannot be bothered to grate that many carrots especially as I usually make double the amount (and I don't own a food processor). A staple favourite at our house now! :)

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Difficulty and servings

Easy

Serves 4

Preparation and cooking times

Preparation time

Prep 10 mins

Cook time

Cook 15 mins

Vegetarian Freezable

Vegetarian, Dairy-free

To make dairy-free, see 'Try' below

Healthy vegetarian supper

Ingredients

  • 2 tsp cumin seeds
  • pinch chilli flakes
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 600g carrots , washed and coarsely grated (no need to peel)
  • 140g split red lentils
  • 1l hot vegetable stock (from a cube is fine)
  • 125ml milk
  • plain yogurt and naan bread, to serve
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238 kcalories, protein 11g, carbohydrate 34g, fat 7 g, saturated fat 1g, fibre 5g, salt 0.25 g

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