Red lentil, sweet potato and coconut soup

Apparently winter is coming to an end soon, but Melbourne would have you believe otherwise. I’ve been enjoying a lot of hearty soups this winter, but only just stumbled upon this one a couple of weeks ago. Special thanks to New Earth Catering for the inspiration… I think this is going to be a new staple in my winter repertoire!

The sweet potatoes make a nice change from classic pumpkin soup. A decent amount of ginger and pepper help balance the sweetness with warmth.

You will need:

• 1 large brown onion, diced
• 4-5 cloves garlic, chopped finely
• A large chunk of ginger, chopped finely
• Coconut oil for frying
• 2 teaspoons coriander powder
• 1 cup split red lentils, well rinsed and soaked for a couple of hours
• 1L boiling water
• 1 largish sweet potato (about 500-600g), diced into medium sized cubes
• 200ml coconut cream (1/2 standard can, though you can add more if you like)
• 1 teaspoon stock powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• Fresh coriander to garnish 

If you’re a huge coriander fan then you might like to chop up the fresh roots and add them in with the ginger and garlic.

1. Fry the onion in a large, heavy bottom pot until it turns sweet and translucent.
2. Add the garlic and ginger and fry for a moment longer.
3. Add coriander powder and lentils and stir for another minute or so.
4. Pour the boiling water in and let simmer on a medium heat with the lid on until lentils are nearly cooked (about 10-15 minutes.)
5. Add the sweet potato, stock, salt, pepper and coconut cream. Let it cook until the sweet potato is nicely soft.
6. Mash the chunks of sweet potato in the pot for chunky homestyle texture, or blend in a food processor for a smoother consistency.

Garnish with fresh coriander and cracked pepper.