Tuesday, June 5, 2012

Spiced roasted vegetable and lentil soup

I started making soup the other day by roasting some vegetables and then sat down to have a flick through this months Delicious. Two minutes later I was up and tweaking my soup with something inspired by the flavours of James Walt's Butternut pumpkin soup with spiced creme fraiche. Apparently his restaurant Araxi is one of the best in Canada (it says it in the article so it must be true). Anyway his soup is on the cover of this months magazine and mine looks....a bit special (mainly due to blurry photos). I know there is some sort of bloggy rule about not including blur, but I have decided to whack it up anyway as it just tastes so damn good!

The original recipe looks great and easy to follow...but as per usual I didn't have most of the ingredients so this is what you get instead.

Spiced roast vegetable and lentil soup

Roast vegetables (use whatever variations you have)
3 Carrots
1/3 Kent pumpkin
2-3 Sweet Potatoes
1 Red Onion
2 Cloves Garlic
1/4 - 1/2 tsp Garam Marsala
1/4 - 1/2 tsp Cumin
3/4 Cup Red lentils
4 cups of stock (add more water if needed)


Use about this many vegies!

Chop vegies and roast in a large roasting pan with a glug of olive oil, cumin and garam marsala. Roast in a moderate oven until cooked (you know what I mean, brown and smooshy) about 45 mins.

When cooked transfer to a stock pot with stock and lentils. Cook on a medium heat until lentils are cooked through (about 45 mins). Wizz! (With a stick blender or transfer to normal blender). Add a little hot water if too hot. 
Serve with Yogurt / Sour Cream and Crusty bread. 



Super blurry photo due to haste at eating while hot!

Walt's recipe was served with a spiced creme fraiche, which I never buy unless its on special. What I had in the fridge was home made yoghurt and some low fat sour cream. So this is what you get.

Spiced Sour Cream and Yoghurt
2 Tbsp Sour Cream
2 Tbsp Yogurt
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp allspice

Mix together and put in fridge for an hour.

I used the leftovers of this the next day on a jacket potato wit lashings of cheese, yum!