Spiced Red Lentil & Root Vegetable Soup

I love this time of year.

Come September, I’m completely over sweating and Pinot Grigio, and while I don’t do pumpkin spice lattes, I love the cooler evenings, apple picking and the fact that my kids are back in school. Perhaps the best thing about fall though is that it’s a great time to reset and get back into a healthy, comforting routine. Especially in the kitchen. While nothing makes me happier than creating a cozy and nourishing meal on a chilly fall night, that doesn’t mean I’m looking to spend hours preparing a meal. We’re all very busy and super important, and excessive cooking and cleaning can be straight up burdensome.

That’s where one-pot meals come in.

With a gentle spiced kick, this super easy soup tastes hearty without being heavy, which is a very good thing. Drizzle some coconut milk on top, serve it with salad, and/or some crusty bread and you’ve got yourself a glorious meal with almost zero cleanup.

It will warm you up from the inside out.

Spiced Red Lentil & Root Vegetable Soup

1 large onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
3 large carrots, peeled and diced
2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and diced
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp mild curry powder
1 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp ground turmeric
3/4 cup red lentils
14oz can coconut milk
3 cups vegetable stock (more to reach your desired consistency)
small handful fresh cilantro

Heat the olive oil in a large pan over a medium heat. Add the onion and cook gently for about five minutes until the onion has softened. Add the garlic and the rest of the vegetables to the pan along with the spices. Continue to cook, stirring frequently, for another five minutes. Rinse the red lentils and add to the pan along with the coconut milk and stock. Bring up to the boil then turn down to a simmer and leave to cook, stirring every now and again, for 20-30 minutes until all of the vegetables and the lentils are soft. Remove from the heat. Chop the cilantro, add to the pan along with some salt and pepper to taste. Use a stick blender to blend the soup until it is completely smooth then serve.