Traditional Scottish Lentil Soup Recipe (Curried or Low Carb)

In these surprisingly chilly days of winter, there's nothing to warm you belly better than a hearty soup, and this Scottish Lentil Soup recipe is a cracker!

And it's a healthy choice, too.
'LowCarb' tip? Substitute potatoes with 1/2 cauliflower; tastes just the same but a much lower carbohydrate level.
So let's get souping!
Ingredients; 1lb carrots, 1 lb Rutabaga (turnip/neeps), 1lb potatoes, 4oz RED lentils, 1 Onion, 4 chicken stock cubes (if in the USA, buy Knorr Pollo mexican, they're cheaper.... see, told you I was Scottish)
(For Tomato and Lentil soup, just add two tins chopped tomatoes at the start, and reduce water by 1 pint)
Method; Bring to boil 3 pints of water with the stock cubes. Chop Carrots, Rutabaga, and onion; add to the boiling stock, cover, and boil sharply for an hour. Turn down the heat, add chopped Potatoes and RED lentils, boil gently for an hour, stirring frequently.
Technically, the soup is now ready to eat, but to add that 'traditionally Scottish' feel, we have to make it a bit 'mushier'.
So; liquidize half of the soup. Just half. You can do it with a full food processor, or just a plunge blender.
Now... That's the soup ready..... for wimps!
(Or traditionalists; The soup is actually ready to eat at this point, and totally traditional Scottish fare.)
Now for the 'special' ingredients;
You can add....... 2 tablespoons curry powder..... for Curried Lentil Soup.
You can add....... 5 tablespoons curry powder..... for REALLY Curried Lentil Soup.
You can add....... a huge dollop of A1 sauce, Worcester sauce, (or any other stuff you might think appeals).
Parmesan cheese is good, ginger spice, turmeric, saffron, absinthe, ground mammoth tusks, whatever warms the cockles of your heart.
And whatever you do, DON'T listen to the idiots that think you can make this with any old lentils.... I'm a Manchester United Supporter.... THEY HAVE TO BE RED LENTILS!!!
(Please trust me on this... I don't have shares in the "Red Lentil Co.")
This recipe and many more are available in my soup books Soup Yourself Slimmer, Skinny, Sexy, and Controlling Diabetes.
Both are on eBooks everywhere... click the images.

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