- 200ml coconut milk
- 400g vine tomatoes
- 75g red lentils
- 1 tbsp mild curry powder
- 1 onion
- 1 garlic clove
- A thumb of ginger
- 1 tsp black mustard seeds
- 1 lime
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- Sea salt
- Freshly ground pepper
- 400ml hot water
- 1.
Tip the dried red lentils into a bowl and cover with cold water. Leave to soak while you prepare the rest of the ingredients.
- 2.
Peel and finely chop the onion. Warm a pan on a medium heat for 2 mins then drizzle in 1 tbsp olive oil. Add the onion, season and fry for 6 mins, stirring now and then, till lightly browned.
- 3.
While the onions fry, peel and grate the ginger and garlic. Finely chop the tomatoes.
- 4.
After 6 mins, add the ginger, garlic, tomatoes and 1 tbsp mild curry powder to the pan. Stir and cook for 5 mins till the tomatoes have softened. Fill and boil the kettle.
- 5.
Drain and rinse the lentils and add them to the pan. Pour in the tin of coconut milk along with 400ml hot water from the kettle. Add a good pinch of salt and pepper, then pop on a lid. Simmer for 15 mins till the lentils are tender.
- 6.
While the soup simmers, heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a small frying pan. Add 1 tsp black mustard seeds with a good pinch of salt and fry for 2 mins till the seeds are popping. Tip them and the oil into a small bowl. Zest and juice half the lime.
- 7.
Add the zest and lime juice to the soup. Taste and add more salt, pepper or lime juice if you think it needs it. Ladle the soup into warmed bowls and top with the mustard seeds and oil. Serve with the spare lime half, cut into wedges.