Recipe: Healthy Vegetable Lentil Soup

Bring Calcutta to your kitchen with this quick and easy Vegetable Lentil Soup Recipe. This fragrant, hearty, spiced, vegetable-packed lentil soup recipe will transport you straight to the Taj Mahal.

Ingredients

2 tbsp olive oil
1 large celery stalk, chopped
1 large carrot, peeled and chopped
1 medium parsnip, peeled and chopped
1 small shallot, diced
1 large garlic clove, minced
1 tsp grated fresh ginger
1 1/2 tsp curry powder
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/8 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
5 cups chicken broth
1 cup dried green lentils
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper

1/2 cup sour cream
2 tbsp chopped fresh mint

Directions

1) In a large soup pot, heat oil over medium heat. Add celery, carrot, parsnip, shallot, garlic and ginger. Cook stirring until softened, about 5 minutes. Add curry powder, cumin and crushed red pepper flakes. Stir constantly until spices are fragrant, about 1 minute.

2) Add the chicken broth, lentils, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to low and simmer covered until lentils are tender, about 25 minutes.

3) Remove 2 cups of soup and puree using a hand held or countertop blender. Return smooth puree back into the remaining soup in the pot. Stir well, adjusting salt and pepper to taste.

4) Ladle soup into bowls and top each serving with a spoonful of sour cream and a sprinkle
of fresh mint.

Serves 6