Low fatVeg-heavyHigh carb

Spiced Lentil & Carrot Soup

Blend half of it and leave the rest rough.

35 min Serves 2 Stove, Saucepan, Blender

Per serving

434

kcal

23 g

protein

67.3 g

carbs

9.5 g

fat

5.3 g protein per 100 kcal · 12.4 g fibre. Calculated from the exact weights below using standard food composition data, so they are close estimates rather than lab values.

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Ingredients

For 2 servings.

  • Lentils, dry weight150 g
  • Carrot250 g
  • Onion100 g
  • Curry paste25 g
  • Stock cube10 g
  • Olive oil12 g
  • Greek yogurt(optional)40 g

Method

  1. 1Soften the onion and carrot, fry the paste in with them.
  2. 2Lentils, stock and a litre of water, simmer 25 minutes.
  3. 3Blend about half, leave the rest with texture.

New to cooking? Read this first

The techniques and safety points this recipe uses, explained from scratch.

Softening onions (and what 'soft' looks like)Show

Softening cooks the raw sharpness out of onions and turns them sweet. It is the start of most sauces, stews and curries.

  1. Heat the oil over medium heat, add the onion and a pinch of salt (it draws out water and speeds things up).
  2. Stir every minute or so. You want a gentle sizzle, not a loud fry.
  3. After about 5–8 minutes the pieces go glossy, floppy and see-through at the edges. That is 'softened'.
  4. Keep going another few minutes and they start turning golden — sweeter still. Only do that if the recipe says 'golden'.

Ready when: Floppy, shiny and slightly see-through, with no raw crunch when you taste a piece.

Frying and stir-fryingShow

Frying is cooking in a thin layer of hot fat. A stir fry is the fast, hot version where you keep everything moving.

  1. Have everything chopped and ready BEFORE the pan goes on — there is no time once it starts.
  2. Heat the oil first (see above), then add the food in a single layer. If it doesn't fit in one layer, cook it in two batches.
  3. Let pieces sit for a minute to colour before you turn them; stir-fries get stirred or tossed every 20–30 seconds.
  4. Hardest things go in first (carrot, pepper), soft things last (spinach, spring onion).
Simmer vs boil — what the bubbles tell youShow

A boil is big bubbles rolling hard across the whole surface. A simmer is much gentler: small bubbles rising lazily, a few breaking the surface. Stews, sauces and soups simmer; boiling makes meat tough and sauces catch on the bottom.

  1. Bring it up to the boil on a higher heat, then turn the heat down until the bubbling calms to a gentle simmer.
  2. Check every few minutes and adjust — a lid on makes it hotter, a lid off lets it thicken.
  3. Stir now and then, scraping the bottom, so nothing sticks and burns.

Ready when: Small, steady bubbles — not a still surface, not a rolling boil.

Blending hot and cold things safelyShow

Blenders are simple, but hot liquid expands and can blow the lid off.

  1. Never fill more than halfway, and never more than a third with anything hot.
  2. Hold the lid down with a folded tea towel and start on the lowest speed, then turn it up.
  3. Always switch off at the wall before putting a spoon or finger near the blades.

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A standard home version of a well-known dish, written for Solviro. Nutrition is estimated from ingredient weights and will vary with brands and portions.