The winter soup season is officially here. There is nothing better than a bowl of hot soup to chase away the chill of winter. This red lentil, tomato and harissa soup is everything you could ask for in a soup. It’s comforting, warming and packs a punch on the flavour front and it is incredibly easy to make. Yet another excellent recipe from Felicity Cloake.

Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 red onion, finely chopped

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1 teaspoon cumin seeds

½ teaspoon cinnamon

200g red lentils

½ tin plum tomatoes, chopped

1 litre of vegetable stock

5 teaspoons harissa, or to taste

4 teaspoons plain yoghurt (optional)

sunflower seeds to garnish

·     Heat the oil in a large saucepan over a medium heat and add the onion. Cook for 7 minutes until softened, then stir in the garlic and cumin seeds and cook for a further couple of minutes. Stir through the cinnamon and cook for another minute.

·     Stir in the lentils followed by the tomatoes and the stock. Bring to a simmer then turn down the heat and cook for about 20 minutes until the lentils have broken down and the soup is thick. Stir from time to time to make sure the lentils don’t stick to the bottom of the pan.  

·    Stir in the harissa a teaspoon at a time until you are happy with the taste.

·    Serve with yoghurt swirled on the top and garnish.