Balthasar and I bonded over soup.
It was an inset day, which means no school, and after a sunny autumnal swim in the nearby lido — outdoor swimming pool in British lingo, in this case heated year-round to a luxurious 25°C — we went to reap our effort’s reward: e5 Bakehouse. Breakfast was over, we shared a spicy lentil soup with mustard seeds, and cake — but it was the soup that caught our attention. We vowed to recreate it, paying particular heed to the mustard, and, in an decisive move against Thomas’s tyranny of chunky soups, solemnly swore to blitz it to a creamy smoothness.
It was practically a random recreation, with the available bits and pieces in the fridge. It was practically perfect.
Creamy spiced lentil soup
4 to 5 small onions
1 whole head of garlic
1 tsp brown mustard seeds
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp fennel seeds
1 tsp ground turmeric
Sea salt
3 leeks
5 or 6 carrots
1 kg potatoes
3/4 of a large acorn squash
1 litre chicken or vegetable stock — or just water
175 g red lentils
A large handful of kale
Finishing touches: yogurt mixed with toasted ground cumin and fennel and lemon juice; a sliver of olive oil or chili infused oil; if available, black lava salt
Toast the mustard, cumin, and fennel seeds in a small pan until they start to become fragrant (this takes a few minutes only). Grind and set aside.
Prepare the vegetables —
Chop the onions.
Smash and peel the garlic.
Peel, thoroughly wash to remove all grit, and chop the leeks.
Peel and chop the carrots.
Peel and wash the potatoes and the acorn squash and cut them into small chunks.
Remove the kale’s tough stalks, wash thoroughly, and chop into strips.
Note: The size of the vegetable chunks is not crucial as the soup will be puréed, but the pieces should be fairly homogeneous in order to cook at a similar rate, and — if time is of the essence — the smaller or finer the pieces, the faster they will cook.
Cook the soup —
Brown the onions in lots of olive oil. Add the garlic and spices and cook, stirring continuously, for a few minutes. Season with salt.
Add the leeks, cover the pan, and let them cook for a few minutes. Add the carrots, potatoes, and squash. Season.
Add the stock and/or water so that the vegetables are covered generously and floating around comfortably when stirred.
After about half an hour of a gentle and constant simmer, add the lentils. Cook for another 15 to 20 minutes, checking on the level of liquid and adding some if necessary.
Check that the vegetables and lentils are cooked through, then add the kale and cook for about 5 to 10 minutes more until it has softened too.
Blend/purée the soup in batches until very smooth.
Serve immediately with one or all of the finishing touches.
Nettle and Quince 