Cherry & Dennis Helper Habitat

Carrot, Red Lentil and Cumin Soup

Name: Carrot, Red Lentil and Cumin Soup
Total time: 1 h 1 min
Yield: 6 servings
Ingredients: 700 g carrot; 220 g red lentils; 1 piece onion; 2 tsp ground cumin; 1200 ml vegetable stock; 2 tbsp olive oil

甘筍紅扁豆孜然湯

Carrot, Red Lentil and Cumin Soup: Carrots and red lentils simmer with cumin until soft, then blend into a naturally thick, smooth orange soup for six.

Total time: 61 min
Difficulty: Easy
Servings: 6 servings

Recipe overview

Carrots and red lentils simmer with cumin until soft, then blend into a naturally thick, smooth orange soup for six.

Ingredients

Main ingredients

700 g carrot
220 g red lentils
1 piece onion
2 tsp ground cumin
1200 ml vegetable stock
2 tbsp olive oil

Carrot, Red Lentil and Cumin Soup: 700 g carrot, 220 g red lentils, 1 piece onion, 2 tsp ground cumin, 1200 ml vegetable stock, 2 tbsp olive oil

Tools

colander
vegetable peeler
knife
cutting board
pot
wooden spoon
ladle
immersion blender
measuring cup
measuring spoons
serving bowl
timer

Carrot, Red Lentil and Cumin Soup: colander, vegetable peeler, knife, cutting board, pot, wooden spoon, ladle, immersion blender, measuring cup, measuring spoons, serving bowl, timer

Steps

Step 1

Rinse the red lentils

Rinse all 220 g red lentils in a fine sieve under cold water until the draining water is clear.

Step 2

Peel and slice the carrots

Peel all 700 g carrots and slice them into even 1 cm rounds so they soften together.

Step 3

Dice the onion

Peel the whole onion and cut it into even 1 cm dice for steady softening.

Step 4

Warm the olive oil

Heat all 2 tablespoons olive oil in a soup pot over medium heat until fluid and shimmering but not smoking.

Step 5

Soften the onion

Add the diced onion and cook over medium-low heat for 5 minutes, stirring every minute, until translucent without browning.

Step 6

Bloom the ground cumin

Add all 2 teaspoons ground cumin and stir over low heat for exactly 1 minute until fragrant but not dark.

Step 7

Add carrots, lentils and stock

Add all 700 g carrots and 220 g lentils, pour in all 1.2 litres vegetable stock, and scrape the pot bottom clean.

Step 8

Bring to a boil and skim

Raise to high heat until the soup boils, skim away surface foam, and immediately reduce to a steady low simmer.

Step 9

Simmer until completely soft

Cover slightly ajar and simmer over low heat for 25 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes, until carrots crush easily and lentils have broken down.

Step 10

Cool briefly before blending

Remove the pot from the heat, uncover it, and cool the soup for 10 minutes until vigorous steam has subsided.

Step 11

Blend until completely smooth

Keep an immersion blender head below the surface and blend until no carrot pieces or lentil grains remain, moving slowly around the pot.

Step 12

Reheat and adjust the consistency

Reheat over low heat for 5 minutes, stirring, until piping hot; add hot water 50 ml at a time only if too thick, then divide into 6 bowls.

Common mistakes

Burnt cumin makes the entire soup bitter.
Blending vigorously while steaming can splash hot soup.

Tips

Cool for ten minutes and keep the blender head submerged.

Adjust thickness only after the soup is completely smooth.