- 2 shallots
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- A thumb of ginger
- 4 carrots
- 5 cardamom pods
- 1 vegetable stock cube
- 75g red lentils
- 2 salad onions
- 1 lime
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 700ml boiling water
- Sea salt and freshly ground pepper
- 1.
Peel and finely chop the shallots.
- 2.
Heat a large pan. Tip in the 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 and cook for 5 mins on a low heat till softened.
- 3.
Peel the skin from the ginger using the edge of a teaspoon. Trim and peel the carrots. Coarsley grate them. Crush the cardamom pods. Discard the papery skins and save the black seeds.
- 4.
Add the ginger, cumin seeds and cardamom seeds to the pan. Stir together for 1 min. Add in the carrots. Stir to coat in the spiced shallots.
- 5.
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.
- 6.
Squeeze in half the lime. Taste and season the soup, adding more lime juice to taste. Blitz the soup till smooth using a stick blender or transfer to a food processor. Top with finely sliced spring onions.