Lentil and Vegetable Soup with Spiced Yoghurt

 

Winter has arrived in Melbourne! It’s been chilly, rainy and windy. The sun made an appearance today which was lovely but the air was still cold – perfect time for soup and this one will warm the cockles of your heart!

With all the lovely warming spices and the added burst of peppery Tabasco sauce this soup is warming from the inside out!

What you will need:

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 small onion, chopped

2 garlic cloves, crushed

2 teaspoons curry powder

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon garam masala

1 litre (4 cups vegetable stock)

250 ml (1 cup) water

1 bay leaf

185g (1 cup red lentils)

450g (1lb) butternut pumpkin (peeled and cut into 1 cm ½ inch) cubed

400g can chopped tomatoes

2 zucchini – but in half lengthways and sliced

200g broccoli, cut into small florets

1 small carrot, diced

80g (1/2 cup) peas – fresh or frozen

Spiced Yoghurt

250g (1cup) thick soy yoghurt

1 tablespoon chopped coriander leaves

1 garlic clove – crushed

3-4 dashes Tabasco Sauce

What to do:

Heat the oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook for 4-5 minutes or until soft and lightly golden. Add the curry powder, cumin and garam masala and cook for 1 minute or until spices are fragrant.

Add the stock, bay leaf, lentils and pumpkin. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat to low and simmer for 10-15 minutes or until the lentils are tender, Season well.

Add the tomatoes, zucchini, broccoli, carrot and 500 ml (2 cups) water and simmer for 10 minutes or until the vegetables are tender. Add the peas and simmer for 2-3 minutes.

 

Spiced Yoghurt:

To make the spiced yoghurt, place the yoghurt, coriander, garlic and Tabasco in a small bowl and stir until combined. Dollop a spoonful of the yoghurt on each serving of soup and garnish with a sprinkle of coriander leaves.

Serve with bread – crusty bread or maybe even naan bread – can’t go wrong really!

Enjoy! Xx

 

 

 

Gingerbread Cupcakes with Lemon Icing

 

Gingerbread…mmmnn! As a child the dilemma for me when visiting the bakery was always –- the cupcake or the gingerbread and many times the gingerbread would triumph! Which says something as I LOVE cupcakes!

The delicious moreishness of gingerbread, the softness, spiciness – it’s a winning combo! So combining my love of gingerbread and my love of cupcakes means no more the cupcake or the gingerbread dilemma!

What you will need:

175 g plain flour

1 tsp baking powder

½ teaspoon baking soda

3 tsp ground ginger

1 tsp ground cinnamon

¼ tsp ground cloves

¼ tsp salt

112mls vegetable oil

113 mls molasses (or golden syrup)

170 mls maple syrup

60 mls soya milk

60 soy yoghurt

Lemon zest of 1 lemon

What to do:

Preheat the oven to 180 °C and line a muffin tin with paper cupcake liners.

Sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, cloves and salt into a bowl and mix

Whisk the oil, molasses, maple syrup, soya milk, yoghurt and lemon zest in a separate large bowl.

Add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients and mix until smooth.

Fill the cupcake liners 2/3 full

 

Bake for approx. 20 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the centre comes out clean

Lovely Light Lemon Icing

1 cup icing sugar

1 tablespoon vegan margarine

Juice of 1 lemon

To Make the Icing:

Really easy peasy! Just mix the vegan margarine and lemon juice into the icing sugar – I used the juice of a whole lemon – add more or less juice depending on the consistency you wish.

Enjoy! xx