Red Lentil, Coconut & Tomato Soup

Ingredients

• 300g red lentils, rinsed
• 2 x 400g tins chopped tomatoes
• 20g fresh ginger, grated
• 800ml hot vegetable stock
• 1 lime, cut into wedges
• Crusty sourdough bread, to serve
• 2 carrots, diced
• 120g spinach, washed
• salt and black pepper to taste
• 2 onions, finely diced
• 3 garlic cloves, grated
• 2 tsp ground cumin
• 2 tsp mild curry powder
• 1 x 400ml tin coconut milk
• Natural yoghurt, to serve
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tsp ground coriander
• 15g coriander, roughly chopped

Method

1. Warm the coconut oil in a large saucepan over a medium heat. Add the onion and grated carrot with a good pinch of salt and cook for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring often, until soft and sweet and just starting to take colour at the edges.
2. Stir in the garlic, ginger, sliced chilli, lemongrass stalk and lemongrass paste. Cook for a minute or two until the kitchen smells fragrant and the garlic has lost its raw bite.
3. Tip in all the lentils and the chopped roasted pepper, stirring to coat them in the oil and aromatics. Pour in the chopped tomatoes, coconut milk and stock, then add the sugar.
4. Bring up to a gentle simmer and cook for 25 to 30 minutes, stirring every few minutes so the lentils do not catch on the base. The soup is ready when the lentils have completely broken down and the texture is thick and velvety — a spoon dragged through should leave a brief trail.
5. Fish out the lemongrass stalk. Blend with a stick blender until smooth, or pulse a few times for a more rustic finish. Loosen with a splash of hot water if it has gone too thick.
6. Squeeze in the lime juice, taste, and season generously with salt and pepper. It should be punchy, sweet-sour and warming.
7. To batch: cool completely before freezing in labelled containers. Defrost in the fridge overnight, then reheat until piping hot, adding a little water if it has thickened.