This is a variation on a recipe that Helen has been making for years. The carrot top pesto, with its citrus sharpness, enlivens the soup and is a worthwhile addition if you grow your own carrots or can get organic carrots with their tops still on. If not, you could substitute parsley. Serve with oatcakes at lunchtime or for a quick dinner during the work. Enjoy!
Serves 4
Soup
250g roughly chopped carrots
1 sliced onion
Olive oil
10 cardamon pods, shelled and ground
50g red lentils
1 ltr vegetable stock
Carrot Top Pesto
15g fresh carrot tops or fresh parsley
10 cashew nuts
4 tblsp extra virgin olive oil
¼ tsp salt
ground black pepper
the juice of half a lemon
parsley, olive oil and some toasted flaked almonds to serve
1. Heat a couple of tablespoons of olive oil in a large pan before adding the onion. Sauté for a couple of minutes before adding the carrots and the ground cardamon.
2. Add the lentils and stir.
3. Add the hot stock and bring to the boil. Cover the pan and leave to simmer for around 20 minutes until the carrots have softened.
4. Liquidize! If the soup is too thick, you could add a little milk or boiling water to thin it down.
Pesto
Combine all the ingredients in the food processor and whizz together adjust according to taste. If you feel you want a wee bit more lemon or oil go for it! Serve the pesto on top of the hot soup along with the flaked almonds, parsley and a drizzle of oil if desired.