Carrot Soup w Lentils, Almonds, Chilli & Rosemary

I like texture with my soups and I seem to always be adding or dipping something crunchy to them. In this family friendly soup, the cooked lentils and almonds are jazzed up with some garlic and rosemary.

Tip: Make the topping while the carrots are cooking.

The humble carrot has a star food quality as they are rich in antioxidants and are seen by some as one of the most precious veggies in the medicinal kitchen containing Vitamin A, folic acid, iron, minerals, copper, carotenes and pectin.

Getting Ahead: The soup can be made a few days ahead. The topping might lose its crunch if made in advance but to be honest it will not be train smash as chewy instead of crunchy is also perfectly acceptable.

Seasonal Swaps:  You can use any root vegetable here like butternut, pumpkin or sweet potato. Hazelnuts and pecan nuts will also work well for the topping.

Serves 4

A soft country loaf would be amazing!

A hand blender or food processor.

• 4 tablespoons olive oil
• 500g carrots, peeled and chopped roughly
• 2 celery sticks,  sliced
• 1 onion, peeled, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, peeled,  sliced thinly
• 2 teaspoons cumin seeds
• 1 teaspoon coriander seeds
• good pinch chilli flakes
• 1 litre vegetable stock
• salt & pepper

Topping

• 25g brown lentils ( I used French Puy)
• 25g almonds, skin on
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 garlic clove, sliced
• pinch chilli flakes
• 1 beautiful rosemary sprig, leaves picked and chopped

1. Heat the olive oil in a medium saucepan, add the onion, garlic, celery, cumin & coriander seeds, pinch of salt and chilli flakes. Sautee, covered gently for 10 minutes until the onions are starting to soften.
2. Add the carrots and hot stock and simmer gently for 20 minutes until carrots are completely soft.
3. Topping: Meanwhile, add the lentils and almonds to a small saucepan, add 1 cup of water and simmer gently until the lentils are softish but still have a bite, about 10 minutes, drain.
4. Add olive oil to the same small saucepan that the lentils cooked in and heat on a medium heat, add the garlic, chilli flakes and rosemary leaves, fry until fragrant, taking care not to burn or colour the rosemary or garlic. Add the almonds and lentils and a good pinch of salt and fry very gently until the almonds and lentils are crispy.
5. Once the carrots are soft, puree the soup with a hand blender or food processor until smooth, return the soup back in the saucepan, season and keep warm.
6. To serve, ladle the soup into bowls, scatter the topping over the bowls and a quick drizzle of pan olive oil. Enjoy!

Recipe inspired by food crush Gill Meller