This recipe is about rethinking perceived value. Lentils have been considered both a peasant food and a delicacy. Similarly, dock leaves, which we now tend to overlook, were a staple for our Cornish Celtic ancestors and, in this recipe, will remove the price tag of spinach.
Curried Lentil, Dock & Sweet Root Vegetable Soup with Dulse Seaweed
Overview
| Preparation Time: 15 mins | Cooking Time: 30 mins | Serves 6 |
Ingredients
4 large washed handfuls of dulse
10-15 small/medium dock leaves (young leaves are less bitter than larger older leaves)
500g of carrots, peeled and chopped
500g of sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped
200g of dried red lentils
3 tomatoes, chopped
1 small onion, peeled and finely chopped
2 garlic cloves
1 inch piece of ginger, finely chopped
2 tbsp of vegetable oil
3 tsp of curry powder
Approx 2 to 3 litres of vegetable stock made with 2 vegetable stock cubes (use enough stock to cover the vegetables during cooking)
Method
Sauté the onion, sweet potatoes and carrots with the garlic, ginger and curry powder in the oil for a few minutes.
Add the hot stock, chopped dock leaves, lentils, tomatoes, and dulse, ensuring that there is enough stock to cover all the ingredients. Add more stock if you like your soup thinner as long as all the ingredients are submerged during cooking.
Bring back to the boil, then reduce the heat to simmer for approx. 25 minutes until the vegetables are cooked and the lentils are soft.
Remove from the heat and use a hand blender to blend until smooth, or serve chunky if preferred.
Serve with some homemade chunky bread and butter.