2 pounds of carrots, large dice
1 large cooking onion, large dice
2 garlic cloves
3 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
2 cups diced yukon gold potatoes (about 2 medium potatoes)
1/2 cup rinsed dry red lentils
1/2 teaspoon cumin
pinch of turmeric
pinch of cayenne
1 bay leaf
6 cups (1 1/2 liters) of chicken stock
5 cups stemmed chopped kale
1 cup freshly grated cheddar or gouda for serving
METHOD:
Preheat oven to 400F.
In a large bowl, combine carrots and onions. Add 2 tablespoons of olive oil and salt to taste.
Spread on a parchment lined cookie sheet and roast for approximately 25 minutes. Stirring halfway through cooking time.
In a large pot, warm the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil and saute 2 crushed garlic cloves for 30 seconds. Add the roasted carrots and onions, potatoes, lentils, cumin, turmeric, cayenne, bay leaf, and stock to cover.
Bring to a boil and then lower heat and simmer for 20 minutes.
Remove bay leaf and then add chopped kale. Simmer for an additional 15 minutes.
Turn off the heat and puree the soup with an immersion blender.
Adjust seasoning.
Serve sprinkled with freshly grated cheddar cheese or gouda cheese.
TIPS:
1. Do not crowd vegetables on cookie sheet. Spread evenly, in order to allow vegetables to roast, not steam.
2. Do not burn garlic.
3. Always remove bay leaves before pureeing soup.
4. Be sure to stem kale. The stems are tougher than the leaves and need longer cooking time.
5. I always add 1/2 to 3/4 cup of dry red lentils to almost any pureed soup because it adds protein without significantly altering taste or texture of soup.
