Spicy Red Lentil Soup

 Ingredients:

1/2 onion, roughly chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
2 carrots, diced
1 teaspoon oil
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1 teaspoon coriander
1/4 teaspoon paprika
a pinch of cinnamon
1 tomato, diced
vegetable stock
1/2 cup passata
1 cup red lentils
salt and black pepper, to taste
lemon wedges
cilantro, chopped
red pepper flakes
yogurt

Cook the onion, garlic, and carrot in the oil and add the spices. Cook for a minute and add the tomato. When tomato is wilted pour in the stock and passata along with the red lentils. Cook until lentils are tender.

Transfer to a blender and puree until smooth. Return to saucepan and add salt, pepper, and lemon.

Garnish with cilantro, red pepper flakes, and yogurt before serving.

Red Lentil Potato Soup

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon grapeseed oil
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 large rib celery, chopped
1 carrot, diced
1 russet potato, diced
1 cup red lentils
4 cups vegetable stock
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
juice of 1/2 small lemon
salt and black pepper

Cook onion and garlic in the oil and add celery and carrot. Cook until tender then add potato, lentils, and stock. Simmer 40 minutes until potatoes and lentils are cooked through. Transfer to blender and puree until smooth. Return to saucepan and season with cumin, cayenne, salt, and pepper. Stir in lemon juice after removing from heat.

Garnish with croutons or roasted chickpeas.

Power Red Lentil Soup

Ingredients:

4 cups vegetable stock
2 cups red lentils, soaked in water
2 large carrots, chopped
1 cup butternut squash, cut into small cubes
1 onion, cut into 6 wedges
2 sprigs thyme or rosemary
2 bay leaves
paprika, to taste
a pinch of nutmeg, to taste (optional)
1 avocado, cut into cbubes

In a saucepan, combine stock, lentils, carrots, squash, onion, bay leaf, and thyme. Cover and simmer for half an hour. Remove bay leaf.

Blend mixture half at a time then bring back to the saucepan. Add paprika. Bring to simmer.

Garnish each bowl with avocado and a dash of nutmeg.