Smokey beluga lentil soup

With sweet potatoes and shiitake

Just the name beluga makes me think of this soup as luxurious. I love soups, they are so easy and so versatile. They are prefect to freeze and keep as an easy meal mid week or during the weekend for lunch. Also my soups always use what I have handy at home, so I feel its an economical dish to boot. I served this soup warm but you could easily serve it cold too, because of all the spices used in it, it will still pack a punch in flavour. Lentils are a great source of protein, and turmeric is a highly medicinal spice.

5-6 servings

Ingredients

3 dl beluga or other brown lentil

400-500 ml water

1/2 leek

1 tsp smoked paprika powder

1 tsp turmeric powder

1 sweet potato

4-6 shiitake mushrooms or button mushrooms

1/2 courgette

5-8 cherry tomatoes

1-1.5 vegetable stock cube

1-2tbsp cooking oil - ghee, coconut oil, un-toasted sesame oil, avocado oil

Instructions

1. Peel and slice the sweet potato

2. Rinse the lentils thoroughly

3. Chop the courgette into small cubes, slice the mushrooms and leek

4. In a large soup pan add a drizzle of cooking oil and the courgette, shittake and sweet potato. Fry on a low heat for half a minute. Add the turmeric and smoked paprika powder.

5. Add the lentils, tomatoes, water and crumble the stock cube into the soup.

6. Allow the soup to simmer for 30-40min.