It’s almost winter in the southern hemisphere and you know what that means — soup, soup and more delicious soup!

This lentil soup has a little bite to it because of the addition of chilli flakes, cayenne pepper and Rajah’s mild & spicy curry powder. If heat’s not your thing at all, simply replace or omit those ingredients.

That being said, this soup won’t leave you gulping down litres of milk — it’s just got some lovely heat to keep your belly extra warm this winter.

Who’s hungry? Vincent and I are starving so I’m making soup to spare. This recipe yields 8 servings.

Ingredients

• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 leeks, sliced
• 4 carrots, chopped
• 2 tsp chopped garlic
• 2 tsp crushed ginger
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• 2 tsp curry powder
• 2 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp chilli flakes
• 1 tsp paprika
• 1 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1 litre vegetable stock
• 2 cups water
• 1 can chopped tomatoes
• 1 cup lentils, rinsed
• 1 cup dry soup mix, rinsed
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• salt & pepper to taste

Start your soup

Using the olive oil, sauté the onion, carrots and leeks inside a big pot.

After 5 minutes, add the garlic, ginger, and all dry spices except for the chilli flakes. Stir for 30 seconds.

Add the canned tomatoes and stir through.

Add the chilli flakes and cook for another 5 minutes.

Add the lentils and soup mix. Then pour the veggie stock over it. Add a cup of water too.

Simmer for 45 minutes, stirring every now and then.

Use a stick blender to partially blend some of the soup.

Or remove 3 cups of soup from the pot and blend in a standing blender, then add it back to the pot. This thickens the soup very well.

Add the other cup of water if too thick for your liking and simmer for another 15 minutes.

Season with salt and pepper as needed, stir the lemon juice through, and allow to cool slightly before serving.

Serve your soup

Garnish with parsley and add some grated cheese if you like.

Get the print-ready recipe here: