RED LENTIL CARROT SOUP

Even though the warmer weather has started, I still like to make soup for lunches. This lentil carrot soup has a wonderful flavour with curry powder and ginger added to it. One could have also added cumin to the soup but I didn't. The apple adds some sweetness to the taste. I used fresh ginger as I have some on hand. I didn't add any parsley or cilantro as a garnish based on pure laziness. I added a can of light coconut milk. 

The soup is lighter in colour than how it looks in the photo. The soup was so good the DH had two bowls. 

INGREDIENTS:

1-2 tbsp olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1 tbsp curry powder
1 tbsp fresh minced ginger or 1 tsp powdered dry ginger
1 cup red lentils, rinsed
2 large size carrots, peeled, chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
1 apple, peeled, cored, chopped
5 - 6 cups vegetable or chicken broth
salt and pepper to taste

1 cup of coconut or almond milk
chopped parsley or cilantro as a garnish 

DRIECTIONS:

Using the Stove:
Heat the oil in a soup pot to high on the stove. Add the onions, reduce the heat to medium and sauté for five minutes. Stir the onions so that they don't stick or burn. 

Add the curry powder and ginger and sauté for another minute and stir. Add the rest of the ingredients except the coconut milk.  

Cover the pot with a lid and heat to high. Once it boils, reduce the heat to low or simmer and cook for 45 to 60 minutes until all of the vegetables are soft and the lentils are cooked.

Using an immersion blender puree the soup. You can also transfer the soup to a regular blender and puree it. If doing that you can add it back to the pot once pureed. Add the coconut milk, stir and add more salt and or pepper to taste. Garnish the soup bowls with parsley or cilantro. Serves five to six.

Using the Electric Pressure Cooker: 

Choose the sauté feature (high) on the electric pressure cooker. Add the oil and once it is hot, add the onions and sauté for five minutes. Stir the onions so that they don't stick or burn. 

Add the curry powder and ginger and sauté for another minute and stir. Cancel/stop the sauté feature. 

Add the rest of the ingredients except the coconut milk. Close the lid of the pressure cooker, select the pressure cooker button and cook for 15 minutes on medium high. I like to cook soups with beans for at least 15 minutes. Some cooks use less time. I choose automatic pressure release instead of manual. If using a manual release where it vents gradually, you could probably cook it for closer to 10 minutes than 15. 

Once the pressure is released, open the lid and stir the soup. Using an immersion blender, puree the soup. You can also transfer the soup to a regular blender and puree it. If doing that you can add it back to the pot once pureed. Add the coconut milk, stir and add more salt and or pepper to taste. Garnish the soup bowls with parsley or cilantro. Serves five to six.

Modified from kitchen treaty.com