Comfort in a bowl
In Winter you need soup, lots of soup! In my house soup is a given at least once a week, anytime of the year.
Soup is an easy one pot meal that is often overlooked for something more attractive but whatever you do, don’t skip over this one or you will be missing a real treat.
Hearty and humble ingredients such as lentils, tomato purée and browned off soup bones give this soup depth of flavour and the vegetables all add up to at least 1 of your 5 a day!
The soup is based on an Algerian classic shorba addass / lentil soup but instead of using north african spice mixes I used curry powder and spicy meatballs.
I almost wasn’t going to share the recipe here (Instagram) as the mince I used was already spiced. To solve the dilemma I requested my husband to ask the butcher what spices he’d used…days later I got the answer and it turns out my taste buds were right, for once.
P.S. Serving the soup with pita bread is not obligatory. I’m an hummus enthusiast so pita is always at home.
Lentil, Meatball & Chunky Veg Soup
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup green lentils soaked overnight
- 1 tablespoon oil
- 4-5 soup bones (halal lamb or beef)
- 1 onion, chopped fine
- 1 stick celery, small dice
- 1 carrot, medium dice
- 2 garlic, crushed
- 1 teaspoon salt or to taste
- Scant 1/2 teaspoon black pepper or to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon curry powder
- 1/2 heaped teaspoon cumin
- 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
- 3/4 teaspoon paprika
- 1 bay leaf
- 1/4 teaspoon thyme
- 1 tablespoon tomato puree
- 6 cups water
- 1/4 tin plum tomatoes
- 200 grams spicy (SEE NOTES) meatballs (each meatball is 1/2tbsp)
- 1/2 courgette, medium dice
- 1 small potatoe, small dice
Instructions
- Brown soup bones in soup pan, about 5mins. Remove then fry onion, carrot and celery, about 5 mins or until onions are soft.
- Add garlic, spices apart from salt, tomato puree cook for 1-2 mins, return soup bones to pot add lentils and water, cook for 45 mins then add salt, tomatoes meatballs, courgette and potatoes and let cook again for 20-30mins or until meat and potatoes are cooked through.
Notes
- USA Cup = 240ml
- For the meatballs: all you need to add to the mince (halal lamb or beef) is onion, red chilli and salt , to taste or add spices of your choice. To test that you have the right level of spice, fry a little of the spiced mince and remember you’re adding the meatballs to already spiced soup so go easy on the spicing.