- 2 shallots
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- 1 tsp turmeric
- 400g carrots
- 5 cardamom pods
- 1 vegetable stock cube
- 75g red lentils
- 1 salad onion
- 1 lime
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 700ml boiling water
- Sea salt
- Freshly ground pepper
- 1.
Peel and finely chop the shallots. Heat a large pan. Tip in 1 tsp cumin seeds and toast for 2-3 mins till popping and spicy smelling. Transfer them to a small bowl. Keep the pan on the heat and drizzle in 1 tbsp olive oil. Add in the shallots, season, and cook for 5 mins on a low heat, till softened.
- 2.
Trim and peel the carrots. Coarsely grate them. Crush 5 cardamom pods. Discard the papery skins and save the black seeds.
- 3.
Add the cumin seeds and cardamom seeds to the pan with 1 tsp turmeric. Stir together for 1 min. Add the carrots. Stir to coat in the spiced shallots.
- 4.
Tip in the red lentils. Crumble in the stock cube and pour in 700ml boiling water. Pop a lid on the pan and simmer for 20 mins.
- 5.
While the soup simmers, trim and finely slice the salad onions, both the white and green bits.
- 6.
Squeeze in half the lime. Taste and season the soup, adding more lime juice if you think it needs it. Blitz the soup till smooth using a stick blender or transfer to a blender to blitz. Top with the slivers of salad onion to serve.