This is my all time favourite soup. Its the soup I make the most and my guests often ask if I’m serving this soup and I’ll end up with a full table quicker than you can say boo!
Since I took the recipe from Canadian Living, I’ll link to their page. Here I will note the changes that I make to the recipe!
First of all:
-I use enough carrots to fill a 4 cup measuring bowl full. Not jam packed full, but full.
-I also use about 1 1/2 cups to 2 cups of Egyptian Lentils. These are the small red lentils. I have also substituted the yellow or orange version of these lentils but we like the red the best (a mild taste variation).
-90% of the time I have a bottle of minced ginger in the fridge. If I don’t, I use 1 tsp of dry powdered ginger. Also sometimes I omit all of the spices listed here and use a Dhal masala. But if you don’t do frequent Indian cooking, I suspect you won’t have a Dhal or a Garum Masala in your cupboard!
-stock… I don’t usually use stock. Sometimes I’ll add a bullion cube, sometimes I don’t. So do whatever! Just don’t add salt if you use a bullion cube!
-just enough liquid to make it soupy. This can be quite a bit more than called for in the recipe because of the added lentils and carrots. That being said, once the carrots cook down they can add liquid. So, often I’ll let it simmer till some of the stock water has cooked off and it is a nice thickness. A nice thickness is… as thick as you’d like it!
I never serve this with yogurt but it is fantastic with a swirl of sour cream. Makes it just so very yummy.
Also, sometimes I puree the lot, other times I grate the carrots in a cheese grater and then leave it as is. Its a bit more textures and I like that. Sometimes, I go half and half. If I have young, young children at the table, that is usually when I puree the lot.
I almost always serve this with herbed or cheese tea-biscuits. Trust me… very yum!
Oh and its a relatively quick soup, say ready to table in 45 minutes from start to finish. However, it is very good the second and third days as well (if say, you x’s the recipe by 4. ;o) It also freezes like a dream if pureed (carrots freeze funny).
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