Lentil Soup with Walnut and Coriander Smash

Name: Lentil Soup with Walnut and Coriander Smash
Prep time: 35 min
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 1 h 15 min
Ingredients: 150g brown or green lentils; 1 onion, finely chopped; 2 tablespoons light olive oil; 500g chard, stalks finely chopped, leaves roughly chopped; 2 garlic cloves, crushed; ¾ teaspoon cumin seeds; generous pinch of f reshly grated nutmeg; 750ml gluten-f ree vegetable or chicken stock; 50g coriander leaves and stalks, roughly chopped; juice of 1 lemon; sea salt and f reshly ground black pepper; 1 tablespoon cornflour; 1 garlic clove, roughly chopped; 10g coriander leaves and stalks; 20g walnuts; 5 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, plus more to serve; 1 tablespoon lemon juice

6 steps

Prep:35minCook:40min

An earthy and homely soup, brightened with lemony chard leaves and an aromatic coriander, garlic and nut smash. Chard stalks have a flavour similar to celery and are put to good use here by being sautéed for the base of the soup, where they add a mellow sweetness. If chard isn’t readily available, simply substitute it with spinach leaves and add a couple celery sticks instead.

Updated at: Wed, 16 Aug 2023 16:21:07 GMT

Nutrition balance score

Great

Glycemic Index

Low

Glycemic Load

Moderate

Nutrition per serving

Calories442.7 kcal (22%)

Total Fat28.9 g (41%)

Carbs37 g (14%)

Sugars4.8 g (5%)

Protein13.5 g (27%)

Sodium970.6 mg (49%)

Fiber7.3 g (26%)

% Daily Values based on a 2,000 calorie diet

Ingredients

4 servings

soup

150gbrown lentils

or green

1onion

finely chopped

2 tablespoonslight olive oil

500gchard

stalks finely chopped, leaves roughly chopped

2garlic cloves

crushed

¾ teaspooncumin seeds

nutmeg

f reshly grated

750mlvegetable stock

gluten - f ree, or chicken

50gcoriander leaves

and stalks, roughly chopped

1 tablespooncornflour

smash

1garlic clove

roughly chopped

10gcoriander

leaves and stalks

20gwalnuts

5 tablespoonsextra virgin olive oil

plus more to serve

1 tablespoonlemon juice

Instructions

Step 1

Boil the lentils in a saucepan of water for 15 minutes, or until they have just softened. Drain and rinse with warm water.

Step 2

Fry the onion in the light olive oil for 5 minutes over a medium heat. Add the chard stalks and the garlic and fry for another 5 minutes.

Step 3

Toast the cumin seeds in a dry pan over a medium heat for a minute until the aroma rises, then crush in a mortar and pestle. Add to the onions with the lentils and nutmeg.

Step 4

Add the stock, chard leaves, coriander, lemon juice, 1 teaspoon salt and a generous grind of pepper. Mix the cornflour with 1 tablespoon of water and add that, too. Cover and cook for 10 minutes.

Step 5

When the lentils are soft, purée the soup with a hand-held blender, leaving a bit of texture. Taste and adjust the seasoning. Depending on how thick you want your soup, either cook it for a few minutes more over a high heat, or add water to loosen it.

Step 6

To make the smash, place all the ingredients in a mini food processor or smash them in a large mortar and pestle until you have a rough paste, seasoning with ¼ teaspoon salt. Spoon a dollop on to each bowl and drizzle with extra virgin olive oil