Spiced lentil and kale soup recipe

This spiced lentil and kale soup recipe is comforting, creamy and full of goodness.

A weekday saviour, this spiced lentil and kale soup adds a deliciously spicy kick to any lunchtime.

Full of goodness and three of your 5-a-day, this spiced lentil and kale soup is easily adaptable if you don’t have all the ingredients. You could use spinach instead of kale and different coloured lentils if green are unavailable. Also, if you only have dried lentils, boil them for 20 mins first and then they will be ready to add in. If you want to cook a batch of soup to prepare ahead and keep stored for the future then this recipe can be easily doubled or tripled and the rest can be chilled and then frozen. Give it a go, it’s easy, quick and delicious!

Ingredients

• 2tbsp olive oil, plus extra
• 1⁄2tbsp garam masala
• Pinch of turmeric
• 1tbsp mustard seeds
• 2 onions, 1 diced and 1 sliced into half moons
• 1 garlic clove, crushed
• 1 large carrot, diced
• 2 celery sticks, diced
• 200g canned tomatoes
• 200ml coconut milk
• 160g kale, shredded
• 400g can green lentils in water, drained
• 30g coriander, roughly chopped
• Mini naan bread, to serve (optional)

Method

1. Heat 2tbsp olive oil in a large pot; add the spices and mustard seeds. When the mustard seeds start to pop, add the diced onion, garlic, carrot and celery. Cook for 10 mins or until the veg is softened.
2. Add the tomatoes, coconut milk, half the kale and 60ml water. With a hand blender, blitz the soup until smooth.Stir in the rest of the kale and the lentils, and season well. Warm the soup through.
3. Meanwhile, heat some oil in a frying pan and fry the sliced onions until crisp, then drain on kitchen towel.
4. To serve, top the soup with fried onions and coriander, and enjoy with mini naan bread, if liked.