Whats on Tonights Menu? Tomato and Lentil Soup!

Its almost winter, which is officially soup season! Making soups are a great way to get nutrients in a delicious form and are so easy to make. Tonight I experimented to make a tomato and lentil soup, based on a recipe I found online and then I changed it to spice it up a little.

Message me if you want the original recipe, but heres what I made...

Serves: 6 large serves, 8 normal serves

Ingredients

• 2 brown onions, chopped roughly
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 10 roma tomatoes, chopped roughly
• 2 cans of lentils (800g), drained and washed thoroughly (you could also use non-canned as well!)
• 1 teaspoon dried hot chilli powder
• 1/3 bunch of fresh basil
• 1 ½ teaspoons ground cumin
• 500ml (2 cups) vegetable stock
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
• 2 stalks of celery 
• 5 cloves of garlic, smashed but not chopped

Preparation method

1. Heat the butter in a large heavy based saucepan. Cook the onion and celery until onion starts to go translucent and celery is slightly aromatic.
2. Add the tomatoes, lentils, garlic, chilli, basil and cumin, stock and a few grinds of salt and pepper. Stir, then bring to the boil, then reduce heat to medium low and simmer for 20-25 minutes, or until the lentils are tender. Stir occasionally and get a whiff of the awesome concoction you are making. Enjoying food can start with the aroma!



Simmer, simmer... sniff! sniff!

3. Remove from the heat, allow to cool slightly, then purée the soup with a hand-held blender. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
4. For a special touch, garnish each bowl with a dollop of natural yoghurt or cream, plus some finely chopped spring onions. Serve with a crusty seeded wholegrain roll if you want some bread with it as well, as pictured.

This has been quoted by my husband to be “Best. tomato. Soup. Ever.” My brother who rates his palate for good food on par with Matt Preston said that the soup was "well balanced, a good flavour hit without being overpowering and leaves you feeling full but not bloated". Not bad for very little effort! I often make a large batch when making soups, then keep it for lunches during the week, or freeze it to use later. Bulk cooking saves time and money, so is a great option for those who are busy!

The real hero of this soup is the cumin, a spice native to India and the Eastern Mediterranean.  It is an aromatic warming spice commonly added to curries, stews and soups.

Medicinally speaking, cumin is used and highly valued is Ayurvedic (Traditional Indian) medicine. It is a known carminative, which means it helps soothe intestinal spasm, relieve bloating & flatulence and improve peristalsis (your intestinal digestion movement). It has also been shown to improve liver detoxification, help pancreatic enzyme stimulation, be a potent antioxidant and help fight colds. Keep in mind, this would be at a much higher dose than a couple of teaspoons in soup, but with regular eating, may help digestion long term.

Another kitchen experiment success!