Spiced Carrot and Lentil Soup

I always love the look of pureed soups, but I've never actually tried making one.  I was flipping through a magazine the other day looking for recipes that would be good to freeze.    Something about it made me HAVE to try it!  It was super easy to make, super low in fat, and high in iron.  I tweaked it a bit (or a lot) to fit with the ingredients I had lurking about in my cupboards.  I also used low sodium stock so that it wouldn't be ridiculously high in sodium.

2 Tbsp. Olive Oil
4 Cups Carrots, peeled and chopped
1 Cup Green Lentils **
Pinch of Chili Flakes
2 tsp. Cumin
Dash of Curry
1/2 Cup Coconut Flakes
4 1/2 Cups Chicken Stock

2 Cups Water

1/2 Cup Milk

1/2 Cup Cream

Salt and Pepper to taste


Heat the olive oil in a pot.  Add carrots, lentils, chili flakes, cumin, curry and coconut flakes. Sautee for a couple minutes.  Add the chicken stock and milk.  Cover and bring to a boil.  Let simmer for 30-45** minutes.

When lentils have expanded and carrots are soft, use a stick blender, food processor, or blender and puree.  (If you find it too thick, add some stock or cream to thin it out and keep blending) Serve with a dollop of sour cream, and sprinkle with spices.  Most of all... Enjoy!

(green lentils make it turn into this awful color, so I added some red and yellow food coloring to give it that vibrant look.... yes, I know I'm a cheater... but you never would have guessed had I not told you!!)

** Red lentils would make this even better (unfortunately I didn't have any), if you use red, you can reduce your cooking time as they are split and will cook faster.  They give it a better color than the green ones.