Thursday, December 12, 2013

The spice season: Spiced Squash & carrot Soup

Puddings infused with cinnamon and nutmeg, exotic curries, warming soups – tasty ways to keep the cold out this winter...

The spice season: Spiced Squash & carrot Soup
The spice season: Spiced Squash & carrot Soup


Serves 4-6
2tbsp olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
½ a large squash, peeled and chopped  (about 400g/14oz flesh)
2 carrots, peeled and chopped
5 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
3cm (1¼in) piece of ginger, peeled and  finely chopped
1tbsp cumin seeds, crushed
1tbsp coriander seeds, crushed
1 chilli, deseeded and chopped, reserving  a little for garnish
100g (3½oz) red lentils
1.25ltr-1.5ltr (2pt-2¾pt) vegetable stock
To serve
Thick yoghurt or crème fraîche
2tbsp toasted pumpkin seeds
Sprigs of coriander

Heat the oil in a large pan and sweat the onion for 5 minutes. Add the squash, carrot, garlic and ginger, stir well and cook for a few minutes. Toast then grind the spices in a pestle and mortar and add to the vegetables with the chilli, lentils and stock. Cover and cook, stirring every so often, for 25 minutes or until the lentils and vegetables are soft. Blitz with a hand blender, and add more water if the soup is too thick. Season, and serve with yoghurt or crème fraîche and the pumpkin seeds, coriander sprigs and reserved chilli.


Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/food/article-2511897/The-spice-season-Spiced-Squash-amp-carrot-Soup.html#ixzz2nIi0LJHe 
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