Spiced Red Lentil Soup with Bacon and Parsley Cream

Name: Spiced Red Lentil Soup with Bacon and Parsley Cream
Yield: Serves 6
Cuisine: Asian
Ingredients: salt and ground black pepper; 5 ml/1 tsp cumin seeds; 400 g/14 oz can chopped tomatoes; 1 smoked bacon hock; 275 g/10 oz/1¼ cups red lentils; 45 ml/3 tbsp chopped fresh parsley; 1.2 litres/2 pints/5 cups vegetable stock; 5 ml/1 tsp ground turmeric; 2.5 ml/½ tsp coriander seeds; 30 ml/2 tbsp olive oil; 1 onion, chopped; 3 shallots, thinly sliced; 150 ml/¼ pint/⅔ cup strained yogurt; 15 ml/1 tbsp vegetable oil; 2 garlic cloves, chopped

Preparation info

Serves
6

Difficulty
Medium

Appears in

The Lentil Cookbook

By Ghillie Basan

Published 2016

About

This rich lentil soup is inspired by the dhals of Indian cooking. It is topped with a parsley cream, while crispy shallots and chunks of smoked bacon add texture.

Ingredients

5 ml/1 tsp cumin seeds
2.5 ml/½ t

Asia
India
Soup
Gluten-free

Method

Heat a frying pan and add the cumin and coriander seeds. Roast them over a high heat for a few seconds, shaking the pan until they smell aromatic. Transfer to a mortar and crush using a pestle. Mix in the turmeric, then set aside.
Heat the oil in a large pan. Add the onion and garlic and cook for 4–5 minutes, until softened. Add the spice mixture and cook for 2 mi