Coconut lentil soup

I hosted an Advent craft workshop this weekend and served lentil soup for all the girls (and that one guy that stopped by). Everyone brought their own craft, or not, and we hung out, talked, ate and had a good time.

This soup has a very surprising mix of spices, and it gives the house a great Christmas scent, so it is perfect for this season.

I found the recipe on the blog The Traveler´s Lunchbox, and the author had adapted it from the cook book Once Upon a Tart by Frank Mentesana and Jerome Audureau.

COCONUT LENTIL SOUP

Servings: 3-4

275 g green lentils
1,5 L vegetable or chicken stock
1 sprig fresh thyme
1,5 tsp teaspoons turmeric
3 Tbsp butter or oil
1 large onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp ground cardamom
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
a pinch of freshly-ground nutmeg
1 can (400 ml) coconut milk
salt and pepper to taste

Cook the lentils in vegetable stock with thyme and turmeric for 20 minutes, or until tender. I forgot to add the turmeric here, and that might explain the slightly sick green color it had. Cook the onion on medium heat for 12-15 minutes, until soft and slightly caramelized. Add the spices and garlic and fry for another minute. Add the coconut milk and onion to the rest of the soup and heat it all up.

Serve hot with warm naan bread.