Red lentil and sweet potato soup

My "going through the cupboards"- phase continues and whilst I was at it, I attacked my pantry and the fridge, emptying out all of the expired stuff. I generally don't like throwing food out, but every now and then I have to be brutal and accept that I had bought something or was given something I had never used up. I picked up a half-empty (or was it half-full...) packet of red lentils and decided to cook that up for lunch. At the back of the packet was a recipe for a soup which sounded just perfect for our lazy Labour Day lunch. My fiancé even kindly agreed to hand-model for me whilst he was slurping down his bowlful of thick, velvety soup. There was enough left-overs for tomorrow's lunch as well as to freeze for another time.

Red lentil and sweet potato soup

(serves 4-6)

(recipe adapted from the back of the red lentils packet)

1 tablespoon extra-virgin coconut oil

1 brown onion, finely chopped

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric

1/2 teaspoon yellow mustard seeds

pinch of sea salt

1 cup red lentils, rinsed

1 medium sized sweet potato, peeled and cut into chunks

5-6 cups water

1 tablespoon tamari

freshly ground black pepper

1. Heat the coconut oil in a heavy-based pan. Add onion, spices and salt and simmer for a few minutes. 

2. Add the lentils, sweet potato and water and simmer for 30 minutes or until the potato is tender. 

3. Season the mixture with tamari and freshly ground black pepper and puree into a smooth, thick soup.