Spiced Carrot, Lentil & Kale Soup

A luxuriously thick and spicy carrot, lentil and kale soup. Keep the leftovers in the fridge or freeze them for another day.

SPICED CARROT, LENTIL AND KALE SOUP

I have a delicious spiced carrot and kale soup thickened with lentils to share with you today.

It's cold and dark, so a soup kind of day.

WHAT HAPPENED?

You may be wondering where I've been?

It's unusual for me to be away for my blog for more than a few days. 

I twisted my knee and it's been rather painful, so I've had to rest it a lot. There's not been much time spent online or in the kitchen.

Graham, bless him has done his best, but now my knee is a bit better it's time for me to get back to the cooker and cook us something a bit more nutritious.

It's definitely cooler here in Scotland.

Winter is making itself known and the temperatures are dropping and I'm craving soup.

HEARTY SOUPS

I like substantial soups with lots of flavour so spices are a must.  They have to be hearty enough to serve as a main course for dinner.

The base of this soup is the standard onion, garlic and carrots, but I added fresh ginger and spices as well as lentils to thicken it up beautifully.

Of course it needed a bit of green too so I added kale and fresh coriander.

It was glorious!

Even better second day, although it had thickened up so I added some water. This is quite common in lentil soups and nothing to worry about.

I do hope you try it. It's so good.

My boys loved it too and no mention was made of the kale. RESULT!

SCOTTISH SOUP

This is a traditional Scottish style soup.

It uses local, in season produce and contains lentils. 

You will find lentils in a lot of Scottish soups or broths to make them more substantial cheaply. We also add them to stews, bakes and nut loaves.

For more Scottish recipes have a look at my recipe index of Scottish Recipes for Vegans and Vegetarians

CARROTS

Carrots are the base of this and many other soups I make.

They are a cheap, year-round vegetable that I can buy locally without all the air miles. They also bring a lot of flavour to a soup, with some sweetness and they add texture.

You can slice then, chop them, finely dice them or grate them for very different textures.

If you only have frozen carrots, then use them. They are great in a soup.

KALE

Many people dislike kale because the stalks can be quite woody and the leaves quite rough, but use it the right way and this powerhouse of nutrients is the perfect vegetable to add to dishes.

For a salad, remove the stems, cutting it out quite far up the leaves, wash the leaves, pat them dry, then massage, yes I said massage, them with oil or the dressing you are using to soften them.

For soups just cut of the woody stalk and chop the kale roughly before adding. It will soften as it cooks.

If you have some kale leftover try my recipe for homemade salt and balsamic vinegar kale crisps or my recipe for easy paprika kale chips.

Kale is also a winner because it lasts so long in the fridge and it's a handy ingredient for bulking out smoothies.

RED LENTILS

Unlike green or brown lentils, red lentils soften and turn mushy when cooking, which is great for soups, as they thicken them and make them creamy and more substantial.

They are also a good source of protein, fibre, iron and vitamin B6.

CAN I USE BROWN OR GREEN LENTILS INSTEAD OF RED LENTILS?

You can add green or brown lentils to this soup instead of red lentils, but you would end up with a very different flavour and without the creamy texture.

Green and brown lentils will still add texture and help make a hearty soup. but they hold their shape and remain quite firm.

If you do use green or brown lentils instead, mash or whizz up some of the soup at the end to mimic the creamy texture of a red lentil soup.

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HOW LONG WILL SOUP KEEP?

Once cool, keep soup in an air tight container for 3 to 4 days.

Because this soup contains red lentils it tends to thicken as it cools, so you may need to add some water or stock to think it down before reheating.

CAN I FREEZE SOUP

Once cool, soup can be frozen in portions in tubs or freezer soup bags. 

Note: You can now find re-usable freezer bags that can go in the dishwasher and be used again, instead of throw-away plastic.

To defrost, take a portion of soup out of the freezer and defrost in the fridge overnight.

Reheat in a pot or in the microwave.

If it's too thick add some water.

MORE SCOTTISH SOUPS TO TRY

• Parsnip Carrot and Lentil Soup
• Scottish Fridge Lentil Soup
• Scottish Neep,Tattie and Carrot Soup
• Scottish Slow Cooker Vegetable Soup
• Winter Vegetable Soup

Spiced Carrot, Lentil and Kale Soup

Yield: 6-8

Author: Jacqueline Meldrum (with kind permission)

A luxuriously thick and spicy soup. Gloriously nutritious as well as tasty. A filling meal when served with crusty bread. Keep the leftovers in the fridge or freeze them for another day.

Ingredients:

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 large onion, finely chopped
• 2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
• 2-3 cm piece of fresh ginger, finely chopped
• 8 medium carrots, chopped
• 300g/ 1½ cups red lentils
• 3 tsp dried cumin
• 2 tsp dried coriander
• 1 tsp dried turmeric
• 1½ litre/6½ cups vegetable stock (4 cubes), add more water if required at the end of cooking
• 50g kale, chopped
• a handful of fresh coriander, chopped
• a good grinding salt and black pepper

Instructions:

1. Saute the onion, garlic and ginger in the olive oil until soft, then add the carrots and cook gently for a few minutes.
2. Rinse the lentils well and add them to the pot along with the spices and stock, then stir well.
3. Add the kale, bring to the boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook gently for 30 minutes until the lentils are soft.
4. Whizz with a hand blender, leaving some vegetables intact.
5. Add the coriander and season with salt and pepper, then serve.
6. Enjoy!

Notes:

FRIDGE: Once cool, keep soup in an air tight container for 3 to 4 days.

Because this soup contains red lentils it tends to thicken as it cools, so you may need to add some water or stock to think it down before reheating.

FREEZER: Once cool, soup can be frozen in portions in tubs or freezer soup bags.

Note: You can now find re-usable freezer bags that can go in the dishwasher and be used again, instead of throw-away plastic.

To defrost, take a portion of soup out of the freezer and defrost in the fridge overnight. Reheat in a pot or in the microwave.

If it's too thick add some water.

FROZEN VEGETABLES: You can also use frozen vegetables to make this soup.

Calories

145.64

Fat (grams)

3.40

Sat. Fat (grams)

0.55

Carbs (grams)

23.70

Fiber (grams)

7.34

Net carbs

16.36

Sugar (grams)

6.34

Protein (grams)

6.86

Sodium (milligrams)

1346.50

Cholesterol (grams)

0.00

carrot soup, kale soup, lentil soup, red lentil soup, Scottish soup

dinner

Scottish, vegan

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