Roasted Carrot Turmeric Soup
Ingredients:
1 and 1/4 cup red lentils
6 carrots, peeled and cut into slices
1 EACH medium white potato and yellow bell pepper, chopped
5 cloves garlic, peeled
1/2 can coconut milk
1 and 1/2 cups water
olive oil
1 tblspn herbs de Provence
1 tspn EACH -- turmeric, cumin, paprika, dill weed and mustard seeds
Salt & Pepper
OPTIONAL TOPPINGS:
Sliced mushrooms
1/4 cup salted pumpkin seeds
This sounds fancy but I promise you are doing all the steps at the same time and poof! It's ready in no time at all.
To start, if you've read any of my previous posts you know I adore Bulk Barn. That place is the only way to go for spices and grains (amongst other things like candy and salty snacks. Just walk away from those aisles. Walk away.)
Ahem. Only $5 for the spices, seeds, lentils AND coco milk. Total!
Aw, the lentil bag is smiling! Lucky lentils. Now let's use them, shall we?
Turn your oven to 180 (355F) and line a large baking sheet with foil. Evenly spread out the carrots, potato, bell pepper and three of the garlic cloves. Drizzle olive oil over them and then sprinkle with herb de Provence and the S&P. Pop it into the oven when it's preheated and roast for about 25 minutes, or until all are nice and tender (you should be able to easily slice a carrot with the side of a fork.)
Time to multitask! Don't fret, you're prepared! While the veggies are roasting get out your frying pan, a small pot and the blender. Boil about half a pot of water and when rolling boil is reached, throw your lentils in and boil uncovered for ten minutes. Turn to low and simmer an additional ten mins, covered. Don't forget to give them a wee rinse beforehand!
They're such a pretty color...
Drain them when they're ready and then plop into the blender with the 1 1/2 cups of fresh water.
Just before the veg are ready to come from the oven get the remaining seasonings rockin' in the fry pan (turmeric, paprika, dill, cumin, mustard seed.) Add about 1 1/2 tbspns of olive oil and stir all together to get that gorgeous flavour blending together. Do this until the mustard seeds start pop-popping!
It's a spice painting! *at this point your neighbors are going to come sniffing around because sweet geebus this kitchen is creating some heavenly stuff.
Pull the baking tray out and place the cooked veggies into the blender with the lentils. Add the coconut milk and your heated spices. Then blend up until creamy-smooth...this will depend on how nice your equipment is! Mine is standard Canadian Tire-available equipment and it was about 3 minutes on low.
Ignore the messy background. That's just the sheet the carrots Etc came off of. I clean up after. And note, this is important: Turmeric sneaks onto clothes and counters and does a wicked good job of leaving permanent stains. Wipe up fast and don't wear your favourite shirt while using it.
Final step, if desired....sauté your mushrooms, remaining garlic (mince it up first) and pumpkin seeds in the same frying pan you did the spices in. The 'shrooms (heh) will happily suck up any remaining bits in there.
Now! Scoop some warmed up soup into your favourite bowl and top with the mushroom mixture. This? Is an Autumn meal. It made approximately 4 portions (about 1 1/4 cups each.)
Let's post the first photo once more because it's awesome enough to see it twice. Happy cooking! Xo Stace
