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Spiced Garlic Lentil and Root Vegetable Soup

This is the kind of soup that earns a permanent place in your cold-weather rotation. Lentils, carrots, parsnip, and Japanese sweet potato each bring a different texture—and a different fibre—to the pot, while a fragrant blend of warming spices does the real heavy lifting.
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Servings: 6
Ingredients Method

Ingredients
  

  • 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 medium yellow onion diced
  • 3 garlic cloves minced
  • 2 medium carrots peeled and diced
  • 1 medium parsnip peeled and diced
  • 1 medium Japanese sweet potato peeled and diced
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon ground coriander
  • ½ teaspoon ground turmeric
  • ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
  • 1 cup dried green or brown lentils rinsed
  • 6 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
  • ¼ teaspoon black pepper
  • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley or cilantro to garnish

Method
 

  1. Heat olive oil in large pot over medium heat. Add onion, then cook 4 to 5 minutes, until softened. Add garlic, carrots, parsnip, and sweet potato and continue to cook 3 to 4 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in cumin, coriander, turmeric, cinnamon, and salt; cook 1 minute, until fragrant. Add lentils, broth, and bay leaf. Bring to boil, then reduce heat and simmer, partially covered, 30 to 35 minutes, until lentils and vegetables are tender. Remove bay leaf.
  2. For a partially creamy texture, blend 2 cups of soup and stir back in, leaving the rest chunky. Stir in lemon juice and pepper. Ladle into bowls and garnish with parsley or cilantro.