I was planning the usual red lentil and lemon soup, but my hostess asked me to use a few pounds of carrots. So the lemon is out, and this is what I came up with:
Carrot red lentil soup
3 or 4 lb carrots
2 large onions
5 cloves garlic
oil for sauteeing
Better than Bouillon No Chicken or other mock chicken bouillon
fresh ginger
fresh thyme
turmeric
cumin
black pepper
salt
Cut 3 or 4 lb peeled carrots into 2 or 3 inch pieces, and boil until soft enough to mash. (Keep the boiling water and remove carrots with slotted spoon)
Meanwhile slow sautee to lightly brown 2 large onions, finely chopped, with 5 cloves pressed garlic, a little salt, and 1/2 tsp turmeric, in as little oil as you can manage.
Peel and chop ginger, about 1 tbsp.
When the carrots are out of the water, add red lentils to the water and bring back to boiling. Lentils to water ratio about 1:4. Add the ginger. Add about 1 tbsp Better than Bouillon No Chicken base or other mock chicken flavour.
Coarsely mash the carrots with a potato masher.
When lentils are soft add onions and carrots. Add 1/2 tsp cumin and 1/2 tsp ground black pepper, or more, to taste. Add about 1 tsp fresh thyme. Cook to blend flavours.
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Makes a metric ton or so. Lots anyway, Freeze some.
Serve over grain or pasta. Quite nice.
