This is a recipe that I have been promising to post for quite some time!
I first had it late last summer, when a dear friend of mine (who I had converted to slow-cooking) made it for me.
The inspiration behind the recipe comes from Sara Lewis’ Book ‘Ultimate Slow Cooker’ but I have simplified the process and the ingredients further – to the same fantastic results (in my opinion!)…
Firstly a disclaimer – I’m a rough and ready cook in that I do not care much for measuring and following recipes. Experience in preparing food means I trust my gut feel when cooking, and can gauge much of it from touch, feel and what I can see. The ingredients I list below therefore are what I had to hand the last time I did this soup, next time I do it I may add more carrots, less lentils – whatever needs using up – just go with it and see what happens – you can’t go far wrong!
Slow Cooked Carrot, Ginger and Lentil Soup – Serves 4 (good sized portions!)
You will need:
- Approx 7 Medium/Large Carrots – this will be approx half a kilo, 450g or 1lb
- 1 Medium/Large Onion (2 if small)
- 8oz (200g) of Dried Red lentils (Washed thoroughly and drained – use no pre-soak)
- 2 cubes of Frozen Crushed Ginger – the equivalent of 2 teaspoons or 1-2″ of Fresh Ginger. I have recently discovered frozen ginger. I was buying fresh ginger but not using it up. Frozen ginger means no waste, less mess and lots of convenience!
- 1 Vegetable Stock Cube
- 1 Large spoon (approx a heap tablespoon) of Curry Paste – I use Pataks Balti, Rogan Josh or Tikka Masala paste depending on what I have open in the fridge.
- Blackpepper
- Hot Water
Instructions:
1. Peel and dice the carrots and pop in a standard slow cooker
2. Peel and chop the onion and add also
3. Wash and drain the red lentils and add
4. Pop in the two cubes of ginger (no need to thaw) or the fresh ginger
5. Crumble over a vegetable stock cube
6. Add a few grinds of blackpepper
7. Add a large spoon of curry paste and stir all the ingredients together so thoroughly coated and mixed.
8. Pour over enough hot water to cover the ingredients – the slow cooker should be approx 3/4 full – ensure there is at least an inch from the top.
9. Another good stir, pop the lid on, put cooker on low and leave for 8 hours. I actually tend to cook my soups overnight so they get left for up to 10 hours some nights and are still okay.
10. When all the ingredients are fully cooked, using a hand blender, blend the contents directly in the pot. Be careful as the liquid is hot.
If you are serving straight away and wish to make the soup creamier you may wish to add some milk (to desired taste)and stir thoroughly. If reheating later I wouldn’t add milk until reheating stage. I don’t always add milk, although milk is a good way to calm it down if too much curry paste has been added.
This soup can be kept refrigerated for 48 hours or frozen for up to a month. Never reheat in a slow cooker!
*Don’t forget that as tempting as it may be to lift the lid and have a stir or a sniff of the lovely aroma, that everytime you do it will increase cooking time by 20 minutes. Reduce the need to stir by always ensuring that you have stirred well when adding everything initially.
** Please note that I am not a qualified nutritionist or professional cook. My recipes are what I put together at home and all amounts etc… are approximate. What I write is my own experience of cooking the recipe. Ovens and ingredients do vary – just go with it, have fun and apply common sense at all times! Practise makes perfect!
this sounds delicious jo! i LOVE soup!
Tis Tasty!
this sounds delicious jo! i LOVE soup!
Tis Tasty!
this sounds delicious jo! i LOVE soup!
Tis Tasty!
For anyone who doesn’t care for ginger or curry or both, this is also good if you use carrots and broth and not another thing 🙂 MMMMM, soup!
So true Jo – I like food with a bit of a kick – but it’d work without!
For anyone who doesn’t care for ginger or curry or both, this is also good if you use carrots and broth and not another thing 🙂 MMMMM, soup!
So true Jo – I like food with a bit of a kick – but it’d work without!
For anyone who doesn’t care for ginger or curry or both, this is also good if you use carrots and broth and not another thing 🙂 MMMMM, soup!
So true Jo – I like food with a bit of a kick – but it’d work without!
Wow, that’s a lot of ginger. Bet it tastes great. Thanks for sharing.
Really? My friend reckons one more teaspoon would still be okay… 🙂
Wow, that’s a lot of ginger. Bet it tastes great. Thanks for sharing.
Really? My friend reckons one more teaspoon would still be okay… 🙂
Wow, that’s a lot of ginger. Bet it tastes great. Thanks for sharing.
Really? My friend reckons one more teaspoon would still be okay… 🙂
Looks tasty! I like that it doesn’t use any canned ingredients.. most slow-cooker soup recipes seem to call out for diced tomatoes / paste, which is kind of a bummer if you’re trying to stay fresh!
On that note, I’ve never used fresh ginger… does it dissolve and blend when it cooks, or do you just fish and toss it out before serving?
Finally, shouldn’t beans/lentils be soaked to remove the phytic acid.. curious why you recommend not soaking?
I’m gonna try this, but maybe adding black rice and purple Okinawa sweet potatoes! And as strange as it sounds, I recently added baking chocolate to chili and it came out GREAT ( http://www.snack-girl.com/snack/lighter-chili-cocoa-powder/ ), so I might just even add a DASH of it for this lentil soup!!
Morning!
The ginger – will dissolve and blend as softens so much – however I have started using frozen crushed ginger to reduce my food waste, this dissolves easily.
The lentils – now this is a good question. The cookbook I adapted this recipe from doesn’t mention pre-cooking or soaking. I’ve checked another cookbook (lentil soup recipe) and they don’t suggest it either. Now I’m not sure why, I’m wondering if it’s to do with the method of cooking. I’m going to investigate further. However in the recipes I have developed recently such as my tomato, chilli and lentil I recommend cooking them first. I’ve started doing this with my lentil recipes.
Cocoa and dark chocolate is highly recommended for chilli! Let me know how the recipe goes?
Looks tasty! I like that it doesn’t use any canned ingredients.. most slow-cooker soup recipes seem to call out for diced tomatoes / paste, which is kind of a bummer if you’re trying to stay fresh!
On that note, I’ve never used fresh ginger… does it dissolve and blend when it cooks, or do you just fish and toss it out before serving?
Finally, shouldn’t beans/lentils be soaked to remove the phytic acid.. curious why you recommend not soaking?
I’m gonna try this, but maybe adding black rice and purple Okinawa sweet potatoes! And as strange as it sounds, I recently added baking chocolate to chili and it came out GREAT ( http://www.snack-girl.com/snack/lighter-chili-cocoa-powder/ ), so I might just even add a DASH of it for this lentil soup!!
Morning!
The ginger – will dissolve and blend as softens so much – however I have started using frozen crushed ginger to reduce my food waste, this dissolves easily.
The lentils – now this is a good question. The cookbook I adapted this recipe from doesn’t mention pre-cooking or soaking. I’ve checked another cookbook (lentil soup recipe) and they don’t suggest it either. Now I’m not sure why, I’m wondering if it’s to do with the method of cooking. I’m going to investigate further. However in the recipes I have developed recently such as my tomato, chilli and lentil I recommend cooking them first. I’ve started doing this with my lentil recipes.
Cocoa and dark chocolate is highly recommended for chilli! Let me know how the recipe goes?
Looks tasty! I like that it doesn’t use any canned ingredients.. most slow-cooker soup recipes seem to call out for diced tomatoes / paste, which is kind of a bummer if you’re trying to stay fresh!
On that note, I’ve never used fresh ginger… does it dissolve and blend when it cooks, or do you just fish and toss it out before serving?
Finally, shouldn’t beans/lentils be soaked to remove the phytic acid.. curious why you recommend not soaking?
I’m gonna try this, but maybe adding black rice and purple Okinawa sweet potatoes! And as strange as it sounds, I recently added baking chocolate to chili and it came out GREAT ( http://www.snack-girl.com/snack/lighter-chili-cocoa-powder/ ), so I might just even add a DASH of it for this lentil soup!!
Morning!
The ginger – will dissolve and blend as softens so much – however I have started using frozen crushed ginger to reduce my food waste, this dissolves easily.
The lentils – now this is a good question. The cookbook I adapted this recipe from doesn’t mention pre-cooking or soaking. I’ve checked another cookbook (lentil soup recipe) and they don’t suggest it either. Now I’m not sure why, I’m wondering if it’s to do with the method of cooking. I’m going to investigate further. However in the recipes I have developed recently such as my tomato, chilli and lentil I recommend cooking them first. I’ve started doing this with my lentil recipes.
Cocoa and dark chocolate is highly recommended for chilli! Let me know how the recipe goes?