Curried Purple Carrot Soup

Carrots cooked like this is so delicious. Roasting turns the carrots sweet, soft and intensify their flavor. The curried lentil topping adds extra protein and helps to stay full longer. Not just that, it works so well with the sweet caramelized carrots.
If it’s hard to find purple carrots, this soup works perfectly well with regular carrots.

Purple carrot Soup with curried Lentils

serves 3-4 people as an appetizer

• 1.5 lbs purple or regular carrots, scrubbed and cut into 1-2 inch pieces
• Coconut or avocado or any neutral oil for brushing the carrots
• 1 inch piece about 1 tbsp fresh ginger, chopped
• 1 -2 cloves garlic, chopped, depending on your taste preference
• 1 medium onion sliced
• 3-4 cups vegetable stock
• 1 cup coconut milk
• sea salt
• Fresh ground black pepper
  For the puy Lentils :
• 1.5 cups water or veggie broth
• sea salt and black pepper
• 3/4 cup puy or brown or green Lentils
• 1’tsp ground cumin seeds, ground in a mortar
• 1 tsp ground coriander seeds, ground in a mortar
• 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1/4 tsp ground turmeric
• finishing oil: Argan oil/ cold pressed ê.v olive oil/ e.v flax oil

Directions

1. Line baking tray with baking paper. Spread the cut up carrots, sliced onions and brush the vegetables with some oil. Sprinkle the chopped ginger, garlic, salt and pepper.and mix again to coat evenly.
2. Bake carrots in preheated oven, using broiling/grilling function, at 375°F / 180°C for 18-20 minutes until soft.
3. While the carrots are grilling, cook the Lentils. In a large enough sauce pan bring the Lentils, spices and water to a boil. Simmer and cook for 15 minutes till soft but holds its shape. Cover and set aside.
4. Once the carrots are roasted and soft take them out of the oven and let the cool for 8-10 minutes enough to put them in a blender.
5. Add the vegetable stock in a blender along with the carrots and coconut milk.
6. Blend till it’s of a puree like consistency. Transfer back into a pot and heat to a boil.
7. Divide to 3-4 bowls. Top the soup with curried lentils and finish with either some good quality olive oil or buckthorn oil or culinary grade argan oil.