I woke up to snow this morning …. Yes! Actual snow and it’s still only the 27th October! I can't ever remember there being snow this early. I bet if I say that to daddy, he’ll be ‘Oh jasysus aye, I can remember snow as early as September. And if you were sent out to gather the spuds like we would’ve been you’d know all about it!’, *insert laughing emoji* Oh I do love my daddy and his little quips!
So anyway, it’s cold. That’s all anyone will be talking about today. We love to discuss the weather in Ireland. If I had a pound for every time someone will say to me today 'it’ll be a long winter if this is the start of it’ or ‘there’s some drop in temperatures’ I’d be MINTED by tomorrow!
And again…it’s cold…..so it only seemed appropriate to upload this soup I made during the week. I had a few random sweet potatoes rolling about the bottom of the fridge, along with those wee straggly carrots that always get left to the last in the bag. I had an onion (yay-mid week success!) and with a hoke in the cupboards, found some red lentils…ta da!
Few notes as per before you get started;
1. If after your rummage you don’t have red lentils it’s OK leave them out. They give a nice smooth texture and thickness to the soup but, if you get to the blending stage just add a tablespoon of cornflour into a small cup with a drizzle of cold water. Stir until you have a thin paste. Add this to the soup as a thickener. Cook off for a few minutes to ensure the cornflour is cooked.
2. I only added in a small sprinkling of chili powder and to be fair, I would’ve liked it with a bit more warmth so adjust this to suit your self. If you like that bit of kick and depth that chilli powder brings, add in a bit more. If not, leave it at a teaspoon. I wouldn’t recommend leaving it out altogether as it does add a nice depth to the flavour and with a teaspoon there genuinely isn’t even a hint of spice detectable in the soup
3. I have used coconut cream on here. Some people will have coconut milk in the cupboards which is fine to use as well-just don’t add the water from the milk as the soup will be too runny. Also, if you prefer a bit more of a coconutty flavour, you can add in some desiccated coconut (maybe a tablespoon) either before or after blending – depending on what texture you prefer. Personally I’m all about a thick, smooth soup but each to their own!
4. In the photos you’ll see I have turkey on top of my soup…say whaaaat?! I’m trying to be all healthy and get my lean protein in at every meal (snore) so I chopped up a turkey steak and fried it off for a few moments and added it to the soup. This adds protein to the meal (win!) and also, gives it a bit more substance. If you’re not so keen on that idea try streaky bacon. Or seeds. Or croutons. Or a slice of white bread with lashings of real butter. I mean knock yourself out kid! It’s your soup!
Ok, think that’s it. Off you pop, and let me know how you get on!
Big love xx
Ingredients
4 regular size sweet potatoes
3 small carrots
1 pink onion
Tablespoon of rapeseed oil
1 teaspoon of chilli powder
1 cup of dried red split lentils
1 Knorr ‘herb infusion’ pot
750ml hot boiling water
Method
1. Peel the potatoes and carrots and chop into cubes (around 2cm cubes but this doesn’t need to be an accurate science. Basically, the smaller your pieces the quicker they will cook and be ready for blitzing)
2. Chop up the onion and place into a large, heavy based saucepan with the oil. Cook over a medium heat until the onion has softened but is not going brown. Add in the chilli powder and cook for a further few moments.
3. Add the carrots and sweet potato to the pan. Pour in the lentils and give everything a good stir until everything has a nice coating of the chilli powder.
4. Dissolve the ‘herb infusion’ pot in 750ml of boiling water and add to the saucepan. Partially cover the saucepan, leaving some space for the steam to escape. Cook under a high simmer until the vegetables are soft. Approximately 20 minutes.
5. Add in your coconut cream. Blend with a hand mixer until everything is smooth and no lumps remain.
Little grind of salt and pepper and your soup is done! Dinner in under 30 minutes!