Red Lentil Carrot Soup

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.