Tandoori Carrot, Lentil & Apple Soup
This cold has wrestled me to the ground and is sitting on my face. You’re likely as sick of it (pun intended) as I am, but it (my cold) has everything to do with the recipe du jour – it inspired me to make soup.
The most appealing foods have been hot and sippable, and the thought of something smooth and full of spices, vitamin C, garlic and ginger was irresistible. I saw it on Dan’s blog and loved the idea of using a tandoori spice blend in soup, much like I (habitually) use curry paste or powder. And I just so happened to have a bottle on the back of my shelf. How could a cold possibly survive a hot blast of tandoori spices, garlic, ginger and enough carrots to choke Bugs Bunny?
Because I was not feeling up to snuff, I didn’t pay full attention to the original recipe and wound up more or less doing my own thing – onions, celery, carrots, a handful of red lentils for good measure – I didn’t have the zucchini Dan called for, and meant to try the apple cider vinegar but forgot. I’m not a fan of fennel so intentionally forgot that.
And do you see that ravishingly golden chunk of dough sitting precariously on the edge of my mug? It’s one of Aviv‘s biscuits, which I bought at Friday night’s Hillhurst-Sunnyside Christmas Market (along with a few eggnog-poppyseed) and which i thought were plain old (as if) cheese, but when I broke my (freshly warmed) scone open, I found, as if opening a present, it was full of chunks of bacon. Bless you, Aviv. By the way, he’s one of the bakeries that will be joining me downtown in the lobby of the Suncor building between 12-1 on Tuesday for our third annual Upscale Bake Sale as part of the CBC Suncor Food Bank Drive. Other participants include Urban Baker, Brûlée Patisserie and Buttercream Bakeshoppe. Can’t wait. Scones, bread, cupcakes and cookies (and more!) for a great cause.
Tandoori Carrot, Lentil & Apple Soup
inspired by Dan’s Good Side
canola or olive oil, for cooking
1 large onion
2-3 celery stalks (with leaves)
4-5 garlic cloves
2 Tbsp. tandoori powder
1 Tbsp. grated fresh ginger
4-6 large carrots, peeled and chopped
small handful dry red lentils (optional)
1 apple, chopped
1 L chicken or veg stock
splash of half & half (optional)
sour cream or plain yogurt, for serving (optional)In a largish pot, heat a drizzle of oil over medium-high heat and saute the onion, celery and garlic for a few minutes, until soft. Add the tandoori powder and ginger and cook for another minute, then add the carrots, lentils, apple and stock. Bring to a simmer, reduce the heat and cook for about 30 minutes, until everything is nice and soft.
Using a hand-held immersion blender, puree the soup right in the pot, adding a splash of cream, if you like. Season with salt and pepper if it needs it, and serve hot, with a dollop of sour cream on top to cool the spice, if you like. Serves 6.
December 05 2010 | soup | 11 Comments »
