With the clocks going back, the evenings growing darker and the weather getting chillier by the day, I’m craving comfort food at the moment – and what better than a big bowl of warming soup?
The latest seasonal recipe from Kym Grimshaw of Bristol-based food blog On The Plate is just the ticket. I normally find carrot soup a bit too sweet for my liking, but here Kym has paired it with smokey bacon and lentils for added flavour and a bit of extra bite. It’s incredibly quick and easy to make, and it tastes absolutely delicious. Just add a big chunk of crusty bread (smothered in butter, of course), a snuggly blanket to curl up under and a good book, and voilà! The perfect autumn treat.
Ingredients (serves 4)
- 6 rashers of smoked streaky bacon, finely sliced
- 140g of red lentils, rinsed and drained
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 600g of carrots, finely chopped
- 2 tsp of cumin seeds
- 1 tsp of chilli flakes
- 1 tbsp of tomato puree
- 1 litre of vegetable stock
- 1 tbsp of olive oil
Method
- Dry-toast the cumin seeds and chilli flakes over a medium heat for 1-2 minutes, until fragrant.
- Heat the oil in a large saucepan. Add the bacon, carrots and onions and cook over a medium heat for 7-10 minutes, until the vegetables are softened.
- Add the tomato puree and spices, and stir to coat over the other ingredients in the pan. Add the stock, stir again, and simmer for 10 minutes.
- Blitz or keep chunky and season to taste, being mindful of salt as the bacon will already be seasoning the soup aplenty.
Kym will be back with another tasty seasonal recipe next month; in the meantime head over to On The Plate for lots more food ideas.
All photography by Kym Grimshaw
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