Our comforting soup is a magical medley of smooth, creamy butternut, earthy lentils and fragrant spices. Every spoonful is feast for the senses!
FREE
50 minutes
Serves 4
Ingredients
- 200g dried red split lentils, rinsed
- 1 butternut squash, peeled, deseeded and cut into 2cm chunks, or 800-900g prepared butternut squash chunks
- ½ tsp ground turmeric
- 1 tbsp medium curry powder*
- 1 litre hot vegetable stock, suitable for vegans
- 6cm piece fresh root ginger, peeled and finely grated
- 2 garlic cloves, crushed
- 1 tbsp black or brown mustard seeds
- 1 tbsp cumin seeds
- 1 tbsp coriander seeds, lightly crushed
- Juice of 1 unwaxed lemon
- 1 green chilli, finely chopped, to serve
- ¾ small pack fresh mint, leaves finely sliced, to serve
- *Watch out for spice/seasoning blends that have added ingredients (like sugar, oil or starch). To protect your weight loss, count ½ Syn per level tsp/1½ Syns per level tbsp.
Method
- Put the lentils, squash, turmeric, curry powder, stock, ginger and garlic in a large, deep, non-stick saucepan. Season lightly, place over a medium heat and bring to a simmer. Cook for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the lentils and squash are soft. Using a stick blender, blitz the soup until around half of it is smooth and the other half is still chunky, then keep it warm over a low heat.
- Put a non-stick frying pan over a medium heat, then add the mustard, cumin and coriander seeds. Toast for 2-3 minutes, shaking the pan frequently, until fragrant (the mustard seeds may begin to pop). Tip them into a bowl and stir through the lemon juice and a pinch of salt. Ladle the soup into 4 bowls and serve hot, topped with the toasted spice mix, the chilli and the mint.
