About the Recipe
Once referred to as “pepper water”, this soup has its roots in both British and Indian cultures. The spices provide not only an abundance of flavor but many health benefits. This vegetarian version allows you to choose the texture you prefer by blending and/or adding coconut milk.
Ingredients
1 tablespoon coriander seeds
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
½ teaspoon mustard seeds
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
1 carrot, peeled and chopped
2 garlic cloves
1 inch fresh ginger, peeled and minced
1 large tomato, chopped or 1 can (14 oz) diced tomatoes
1 apple, peeled, cored and diced
½ teaspoon ground turmeric
½ teaspoon cinnamon
¼ tsp black pepper
½ cup red lentils (uncooked)
4 ½ cups water or broth, or more as needed
Sea salt to taste
⅔ cup unsweetened coconut milk, optional
Preparation
Place coriander, cumin and mustard seeds in a skillet and toast over medium high heat until spices begin to smell fragrant, about 2-3 minutes.
Transfer to a mortar and pestle and grind until fine.
Heat a pan over medium heat and add olive oil. Add onion and carrot sautéing for 4-5 minutes or until onions have softened.
Add the garlic, ginger, tomato and apple to the pot and saute for another 3 minutes. Add spice mixture including turmeric, cinnamon and black pepper and mix to coat.
Add lentils and broth, let it come to a boil then turn down to medium low and simmer uncovered for 30 minutes or longer. You can either leave as is or blend half to make it more creamy.
Another optional step is to stir in coconut milk.
Add salt to taste and enjoy.
*If possible, make one day ahead to allow flavors to blend.