Carrot, sweet potato and red lentil soup with orange and ginger

Carrots, sweet potato and
orange juice provide a
triple whammy of vitamin C,
while lentils boost fibre and
protein.

Ingredients:

canola or olive oil, for cooking
1 small onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 tbsp (15 ml) grated fresh ginger
1/2 cup (125 ml) dry red lentils
1 medium dark-fleshed sweet
potato, peeled and cut in
chunks
2 carrots, peeled and chopped
4 cups (1 L) chicken or vegetable
stock
1 cup (250 ml) orange juice
salt, to taste
1/4–1/2 cup (60-125 ml) half
& half, plain yogurt or heavy
cream (optional)

Directions:

1. In a medium pot, heat a drizzle
of oil over medium-high heat and
sauté the onion, garlic and ginger
for 3–4 minutes, until soft. Add
the lentils, sweet potato, carrots,
stock and orange juice. Bring to a
boil, then turn the heat down and
simmer for half an hour, until the
vegetables are very tender.

2.
Season with salt, then remove from
the heat and add your dairy ingredient
choice. Use a hand-held
immersion blender to purée it in
the pot, or, transfer it in batches to
a blender and purée until smooth.
A potato masher works well too.
Serve hot.

Serves 4.

Per serving, made with 1 tsp.
canola oil:

323 calories, 4.5 g fat
(1 g saturated fat, 2.3 g monounsaturated
fat, 1.2 g polyunsaturated
fat), 14.3 g protein, 56 g carbohydrates,
7 mg cholesterol, 7.3 g fibre

Originally published in ParentsCanada magazine, February/March 2013.