Spicy red lentil, carrot and sweet potato soup

A soup to destroy all office-induced ailments.

This gloriously vivid and spicy soup is almost as effective as a mucus-suction pump when fighting a cold. Add some extra chilli for real oomph.

INGREDIENTS:

1 onion, chopped
1 knob ginger, finely chopped
1 large clove garlic, crushed
1 large sweet potato, peeled and cut into chunks
3 carrots, peeled and coarsely chopped
1/2 cup red lentils
2 stalks celery, coarsely chopped
2 teaspoons cumin
2 teaspoons coriander
2 teaspoons turmeric
1 teaspoon dried chilli flakes
4 cups/1 litre boiling water
400 g can diced tomatoes
olive oil
fresh coriander
natural yoghurt, to serve

Serves 3-4

METHOD:

Step 1: In a heavy-based pot, gently fry the onion, garlic and ginger in about 2 tablespoons of oil, until the onions are translucent and the mixture is fragrant. Add the chopped carrots, sweet potato and celery and stir until the mixture is well combined and has a little colour. Add the spices and chilli, and season well. Stir for a couple of minutes, or until the vegetables are well coated in the spices.

Step 2: Add the boiling water, tomatoes and lentils to the vegetables. Bring this the boil and then lower the heat and simmer gently, with the lid on but slightly ajar. Simmer until the lentils are cooked and the vegetables are tender, which should take about 20 minutes.

Step 3: Once cooked, you can either leave the soup chunky or use a potato masher to mash half of the mixture in order to thicken it, but leaving nice chunky veggie pieces in there also. Check for seasoning and spice, and adjust to taste.

Step 4: Serve with a dollop of yoghurt and a sprinkling of fresh coriander (with a little extra chilli to really kick any virus to the curb). This should serve four people or one sickly person for a few days.