Spiced carrot and lentil soup recipe

A delicious, spicy lentil and carrot soup is the perfect lunch-time snack if you're watching your weight. At just 179 calories this tasty soup is a diet must-have, but it's so filling and delicious, you could just as easily make it to feed a family. This recipe only serves two, so if you're making it for the family, make sure to double up the ingredients to have enough for four people. It's a really nice, filling meal that's easy to make and inexpensive too. You should already have a lot of the ingredients at home, so you won't necessarily even do a shop for them. It's got a really nice, vibrant colour to it too, which will appeal to a lot of kids and get them eating their veg. It takes only 40 minutes to make this recipe so you can enjoy it any night of the week.

Like this? You're going to love our classic carrot and coriander soup!

Ingredients

• 300g (10oz) carrots, scrubbed and chopped
• 60g (2oz) red split lentils
• 750ml (1¼ pint) hot vegetable stock
• ½ teaspoon ground coriander
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons soured cream (optional)
• ¼ teaspoon coriander seeds, crushed (optional)

Method

1. cPut the carrots into a pan with the lentils, stock, ground coriander and seasoning. Bring to the boil and simmer for 25 minutes until the carrots are tender.
2. Pour the soup into a blender and whizz until smooth.
3. Serve topped with a spoonful of soured cream and a sprinkling of crushed coriander seeds, if you like.