Miriam's Spicy Lentil Soup 

Ingredients

1 tbsp sunflower oil
1 large onion - finely chopped
1-2 garlic cloves - crushed
3cm piece fresh root ginger, peeled and finely chopped
1-2 tsp cumin seeds, crushed
1 tsp yellow mustard seeds, crushed
500g Passata (sieved tomatoes)
150g red lentils (no need to pre soak)
1.2 litres vegetable stock
1 tbspn concentrated tomato puree
Slug of sweet chilli sauce
Salt and pepper  

 

Method

1. Heat the oil in a large, heavy based saucepan and cook the onion gently until softened.
2. Stir in the garlic, ginger, cumin and mustard seeds.
3. Add the passata and lentils, mix in and cook on a low heat for 3 minutes.
4. Stir in the stock, tomato puree and a slug of sweet chilli sauce. Bring to the boil and then reduce heat and simmer gently (with lid on) for abut 30 mins until the lentils are soft.  Season to taste.
5. Once the soup has cooled, puree it in a food processor (or with a stick blender). Reheat gently and serve with crusty bread.

This soup gets better and better the more times it is reheated (and will even survive a short boiling)!!  If you wish you can garnish it with a swirl of yogurt and a sprinkle of fresh parsley