Red lentil, Sweet Potato and Turmeric Soup with Bay leaf, Cardamom and Ginger
Ingredients
1.5ltr hot water
200g red lentils
3 medium white onions
250g sweet potato
100g potato
100g fresh tomato, chopped
30g fresh turmeric
30g fresh ginger
8 bay leaves
6 cardamom pods, crushed
1 lemon, juiced
50ml light olive oil
25g butter
Salt and Fresh milled black pepper to taste
Method
Peel and chop the onion into 2cm pieces. Put the olive oil and butter into a high sided frying pan, add the chopped onions and place over a medium to high heat. Allow the onions a few minutes to cook/fry.
Wash and chop the ginger and turmeric into thin pieces and add these to the cooking onions, along with the bay leaves and cardamom pods. Cook the onions over a medium heat, letting all of the flavours combine.
Wash and trim the potatoes of any eyes or blemishes but keep the skin on and chop them into 2cm sized cubes and add them to the cooking onions. Stir well to incorporate all of the ingredients and turn up the heat a little. Let cook for 5 minutes before adding the chopped tomatoes, stir well again.
Rinse the lentils well and add them to the pan. Keep the heat fairly hot, stir well and allow the lentils to absorb some heat before adding the hot water. Stir the mixture well, season with lots of fresh milled black pepper and reduce the heat to a simmer and leave to cook for 30-35 minutes. Stir well and season with salt to your preferred taste.
Before serving, divide the lemon juice between the soup bowls , check the soup for seasoning then ladle the soup into each bowl. Serve hot.