slightly spiced carrot, coconut & lentil soup = comfort in a bowl!

Autumn has arrived, with it’s fabulous, fiery foliage and ripening root veg – like these scrummy carrots Aars’ dug up from his grandparents garden – perfect for our slightly spiced carrot, coconut & lentil soup! Yum yum!

We love autumn, the richness of the colours and the fabulous foraging opportunities. On our most recent foraging adventure we gathered a mass of sweet chestnuts and some whopping great big cooking apples.  It’s also the season of scrummy root veg, with carrots, beetroots and horseradish ready for the digging and baking.

As the days are cooling and nights drawing in, we’re pulling out our old favourite blankets, lighting candles and enjoying snug, cosy evenings in.

Autumn is when I get my soup on! I rediscover my love for thick, creamy (dairy-free), comforting soups again. Rich in nutrients and fabulous flavours, über cosy, real winter warmers.

This soup is really simple to make, even easier to eat. The sweetness of the carrots is balanced by the earthiness of the lentils, and enhanced with all the North African spices. It smells fabulous whilst it is slowly simmering and tastes even better.

Add the fresh coriander leaves as you serve, otherwise they cook and go a little slimy! If you like breads with your soup, I recommend our lime and coriander vegan, gluten-free flatbreads as the flavours really compliment each other. You can check out all our breads and savoury muffins in our new recipe index!!

I tend to make a huge vat of this soup, store it in the fridge in an airtight container and eat it for my lunch over a few days. I can’t advise you how long it lasts in the fridge as it’s never had much of a chance to sit and see!

Hope you are enjoying all the beauty of Autumn, and that you get out foraging in the coming days. We’re planning to share some of our favourite chestnut recipes later this week, you can sign up for our newsletter here.

smiles and namasté,
Rai x

slightly spiced carrot, coconut & lentil soup (vegan)

• Yield:

  serves 4

• Cooking Method:

  frying & simmering

• Prep Time:

  5 mins

• Cook Time:

  35 mins

Allergens:

no allergens

Dietary:

dairy-free, healthy, paleo, vegan

This slightly spiced carrot, coconut & lentil soup is cosy, creamy (dairy-free) comfort in a bowl. Really simple to make and even easier to eat.

Ingredients:

• 1 Tbs olive oil (or your oil of choice!)
• 1 Tbs cumin seeds
• ½ tsp ground cayenne pepper
• 2 cm³ ginger root skinned and chopped
• 1-2 fresh chillies (depending on how much heat you fancy)
• 7 carrots sliced
• 1½ C red split lentils
• 1 tsp vegan swiss bullion
• 1 limes juice
• 1 can coconut m!lk
• fresh coriander garnish

Method:

1. Place a heavy based pan on a low flame and add the oil, cumin, cayenne, ginger, chillies and carrots and pop the lid on the pan.

2. Heat slowly and once the pan is hot (takes about 5-7 minutes) stir in the lentils, vegan Swiss bullion and the lime juice.

3. When everything is sizzling, before it starts to stick stir in the watery coconut m!lk. Place the lid back on the pan and leave to slowly cook for about twenty minutes.

4. Once it comes to boiling point stir in the thicker solid coconut m!lk. Leave on a low flame, with the lid on the pan until it heats up again and the lentils and carrots are completely cooked and soft.

5. Ladle the lot into a liquidiser, I use a little boiling water to swish around the pan to ensure that all the goodness ends up the liquidiser. It also means that the soup is less of a purée! 

6. Serve with freshly chopped coriander and enjoy! 

Notes:

It is also great served with our vegan, gluten-free gram-flour flatbreads the flavours really compliment each other 🙂

vegan & gluten-free coriander & lime flatbread (made with gram flour)

• Yield:

  makes 6

• Cooking Method:

  frying

• Prep Time:

  5 mins

• Cook Time:

  20 mins

Allergens:

no allergens

Dietary:

dairy-free, egg-free, gluten-free, healthy, nut-free, paleo, soy-free, vegan

These vegan & gluten-free gram flour flatbread are packed full of earthy chickpea and fabulous fresh coriander flavour. Super simple to make and perfect accompaniment to curry!

Ingredients:

• 2 Tbs ground chia seeds
• ½ C gram flour
• ¼ tsp ground cayenne pepper
• grind of pink Himalayan salt
• ¾ C water*
• 1 lime's juice
• 2 Tbs oil (melted coconut oil or olive oil)
• 2 handfuls of fresh coriander (chopped leaves and stalks)**
• oil to fry batter (we use coconut oil normally)

Method:

1. In a mixing bowl combine the ground chia seeds, gram flour, cayenne and salt. 

   

2. Whisk in the water, lime juice and oil. *it should be runny like a batter for pancakes - gram flour varies in absorbency so make sure you have a nice wet dough - you'll get an idea from the photo here.

3. Stir in the chopped coriander leaves and stalks (the stalks create fantastic bursts of coriander)

4. Heat up a frying pan and add a blob of oil to melt in it.

5. When the pan is hot, spoon in some batter and spread around the pan with the back of the spoon like you would a crepe. It should take about 2 minutes to cook on the first side and about 1 minute to cook on the second. 

6. Pop the cooked flatbread into a clean tea towel in a bread basket to stay warm and then fry your next flatbread. 

Notes:

These are best straight from the pan, but as we like to eat together I make a batch before we start eating and keep them warm wrapped in a tea-towel.

**the more coriander you add to the mix the harder it is to hold your batter together - but persevere as the coriander is SCRUMMY!