SPICED CARROT AND RED LENTIL SOUP Yesterday my friend Abi told me she was re

SPICED CARROT AND RED LENTIL SOUP ???? ????

Yesterday my friend Abi told me she was ready for some good winter soup recipes thank you very much. Who am I to deny her?

Having harvested the last of the veg from my garden, I find myself with a glut of carrots and, just like Abi, a hankering for a good soup.

????Dice two-three large carrots, 1 red onion and two cloves of garlic. Sweat down in a pan with a pinch of salt and a knob of butter. If you like it spicy add some chopped chilli here.
???? once the veg has softened a little and is beginning to catch at the edges, add 1tsp ginger purée, 1tbsp tomato paste, 1tsp ground coriander, 1tsp ground cumin, 1tsp garam masala, 1/2tsp turmeric. Stir well and cook for three minutes or so to cook out the spices.
????next add 1tin of tomatoes (I used a ton of whole cherry tomatoes which was lovely, but chopped will do the job just the same, if you’ve got a lot of home grown tomatoes chop them up and add them at this point too), 1cup- 11/2 cups of red lentils, 1/2 tin of coconut cream (optional) and enough water to cover the lentils well.
????Simmer away for at least half an hour or until the lentils are soft. Add more water if you need to. Serve with cool yoghurt, coriander and sliced red chilli.