Arun’s lentil soup

This simple and tasty soup is courtesy of a Nepalese friend of Jen’s. With only seven main ingredients and very little prep, Arun’s lentil soup can be on the table in an hour once you have soaked the lentils. Perfect for either a mid-winter lunch or dinner. And as a bonus, it is a vegan recipe.

ARUN’S LENTIL SOUP

Prep: 5 mins
Cook: 1 hour + soaking time
Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 1 cup of red lentils, soaked
• 20ml / 1 tbsp of olive oil
• 1 onion, finely diced
• 1 clove of garlic, grated
• 1 tbsp of cumin seeds
• 2 tomatoes, roughly chopped
• 20 fresh curry leaves
• 1 litre / 4 cups of water
• salt, pepper and chilli flakes to taste

Method

1. Strain the lentils and set aside.
2. Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan. Cook the onion and garlic for 10 minutes, without colouring them. Add a splash of water if they begin to stick to the pan.
3. Toss in the cumin seeds, and cook them until they become fragrant, stirring continuously.
4. Add the tomatoes, curry leaves and lentils, stir to soak up some flavour then add the water.
5. Bring the saucepan to the boil and simmer for 50 minutes.
6. Check for seasoning, and serve with chilli flakes.

TIP
The curry leaves are edible. It is a personal choice whether you eat them or leave them on the side of the bowl.