Lentil and Tomato Soup

This hearty and filling lentil and tomato soup recipe features in Escape to the Farm and also in Home Cooked.

Don’t like cumin? Use fennel seeds, or no seeds. You can add a carrot cut into batons or cubes of sweet potato (put in at the same time as the lentils) to make it more veggie stew than soup.  If you do that, don’t blitz it, just leave it as it is.

Suitable for freezing.
Serves 4

Ingredients

• 1 small onion, peeled and finely diced
• 1 clove garlic, peeled and grated, or very finely chopped
• 2cm piece of ginger, peeled and grated, or very finely chopped
• 1tbsp cumin seeds
• 1tbsp garam masala
• 200g red, yellow or orange lentils, rinsed
• 1 vegetable stock cube, dissolved into 1L boiling water
• 500g passata
• 160ml tin coconut cream
• olive oil
• sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method

1. Heat a good glug of oil in a large heavy based saucepan over a medium low heat. Add the onion and a good pinch of salt and sweat for 5 minutes or until starting to soften. Add the garlic and ginger, mix and continue to cook over a low heat for 5 minutes or until aromatic and softened but not coloured.
2. Add the spices and stir for another minute or two. Then add the lentils and mix together so they are coated in the spice mixture. Pour in the vegetable stock, passata and coconut cream. Stir everything together then leave over a low heat to cook for 25-30 minutes, stirring now and again, until the lentils are soft.
3. The soup will happily sit on the lowest heat for quite a while once cooked, provided you give it an occasional stir.
4. Taste and adjust the seasoning as necessary. It may need a bit more salt. Serve warm.

Get your personalised signed copy of Home Cooked

Back to Escape to the Farm