Name: Lentil and Carrot Soup
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 40 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: British
Ingredients: 1 tbsp vegetable oil; 1 onion, about 150 g, chopped; 400 g carrots, diced; 1 tsp ground cumin; 200 g red lentils, rinsed; 1 litre vegetable stock; ½ tsp salt; 1 tbsp lemon juice

Lentil and Carrot Soup

Red lentils and carrots simmered with onion, cumin and stock into a thick orange soup that needs no blender.

40 min total Serves 4 servings Easy

How to Cook Lentil and Carrot Soup

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Heat the oil in a large pan and cook the onion and carrots for 5 minutes, stirring now and then.
Stir in the cumin for 30 seconds, then add the lentils and the stock.
Bring to the boil, then lower the heat and simmer for 25 minutes, stirring now and then, until the lentils and carrots are soft.
Mash a few ladlefuls against the side of the pan for a thicker soup. Stir in the salt and lemon juice and add water if it is too thick.

What Can Go Wrong

Rinse the lentils before they go in.
If the soup sticks, turn the heat down and stir more often.
Add the lemon juice at the end so its flavour stays bright.
A pinch of chilli flakes warms it without changing the method.

The Short Version

The first sign it is ready is the colour: the carrots soften, the lentils fall apart and the whole pot turns deep orange. Red lentils do most of the work, collapsing into the stock so that no cream or blender is needed. Nothing else is required.

Cook the onion and carrot in the oil for 5 minutes before any liquid goes in. That short step builds a sweet base that plain boiling cannot. Add the cumin with them so the spice warms in the fat. Rinse the lentils until the water runs clear. It removes the dust and the foam that otherwise gathers on top.

Simmer gently and stir now and then, because lentils settle and catch on the base of the pan. If the soup thickens too much, add a splash of water. Season at the end, since stock and lentils both change how salty it tastes.

Mash a few ladlefuls against the side of the pan for a thicker body. A squeeze of lemon lifts the whole pot.

To Go With It

Crusty bread · Toast with butter · A spoonful of yoghurt · Grated cheddar

Leftovers

Keeps in the fridge for 4 days. Freezes well for up to 3 months. The soup thickens as it cools, so loosen with water when reheating.