When it’s cold outside and you crave something comforting and warming, this lentil roasted carrot soup is the perfect recipe. Roasting carrots tastes like magic, and transforms this everyday vegetable into its sweeter, caramelized version. Carrots are a good source of vitamin A, which is an important nutrient to eat during cold and flu season. We’ve also included a whole head of roasted garlic (it tastes so delicious and adds complexity of flavors!) and turmeric in this recipe, both of which support a healthy immune system. And to make this soup even better, it features red lentils, which provide a great source of plant based protein, such an important nutrient to keep your body strong and healthy.
Related: Roasted Garlic and Cauliflower Soup to Fight Your Cold
ingredients
Soup
Garnish
directions
Preheat oven to 400°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Spread the carrots and onion out on the baking sheet and toss with the spices, sea salt, pepper and olive oil to season evenly. Make sure all the vegetables lay flat on the baking sheet to help them caramelize better as they roast.
Slice the top off the head of garlic and place on the baking sheet, nestled amongst the carrots. Drizzle olive oil over top of the head of garlic.
Roast the vegetables in the oven for 25-30 minutes. Then give everything a stir and place back into the oven to roast for another 10 minutes, or until the carrots and onions are starting to caramelize on the edges. At the 25-minute mark, check the garlic and if it’s nice and soft you can take it out of the oven at that point, or put back in with the carrots if it needs more time to soften.
Once roasted, pour the carrots and onion into a large pot and squeeze the roasted garlic out of the skin into the pot. Add the lentils, broth and another pinch of sea salt.
Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 20 minutes. The red lentils should become soft and start to fall apart.
Carefully pour everything into a blender (or use an immersion blender) and blend until smooth and creamy. If you find it’s too thick, you can add a bit more broth to get your desired consistency.
Squeeze lemon juice and drizzle with extra virgin olive oil over top before serving. Sprinkle with toasted cashews or sesame seeds and a handful of chopped cilantro or parsley to serve.
