Ingredients
- 1 medium onion, roughly chopped
- 1 kg of tomatoes, cut into halves
- 4 garlic cloves, cut into quarters
- 1 tbsp of olive oil
- 15 g of basil, leaves picked, plus extra to serve
- 300 ml of vegetable stock
- 0.5 tsp of ground cumin
- 2 tsp of harissa paste
- 0.5 tsp of cayenne pepper
- 1 tsp of hot paprika
- 1 tsp of chilli flakes, plus extra for serving
- 100 ml of vegan cream, plus extra to serve
- 50 g of red lentils
- 1 tsp of coarse ground black pepper, plus extra to serve
- 1 handful of croutons, to serve
Method
Step 1
Preheat the oven to 180°C/160 °C fan/Gas mark 4.Step 2
In a large roasting dish, add the onion, tomatoes and garlic, season with salt then add the olive oil. Mix together and roast in the oven for 30 mins.Step 3
Remove from the oven and place in a blender with the basil leaves. Pulse until smooth and pour into a saucepan over a medium heat.Step 4
Season the soup with salt and pepper followed by the vegetable stock, cumin, harissa pesto, cayenne pepper, paprika, chilli flakes and vegan cream and mix together well. Add the lentils, reduce the heat and cover with a lid. Leave to simmer for 20 mins or until the lentils are tender.Step 5
Serve with a splash of vegan cream, a handful of croutons, a sprinkling of chilli flakes, some basil leaves and a coarsely ground black pepper.