Sweet Potato and Cumin Lentil Soup

I woke up with an upset belly this morning.  I thought I might have been pregnant picked up a bug when my digestive system was acting a bit strange a week or so ago, but then my period started so I blamed it on the prostaglandins... until this morning when the pain and discomfort came back with a vengeance.

I couldn't eat breakfast or lunch, but by dinner I was pretty hungry.   What to make for dinner with only two tomatoes, and a lime left in the fridge before we go away tomorrow...?  Oh and half a sweet potato hiding in the back.

This soup tastes completely different to the last lentil soup recipe I posted.

And I know that they say you can simply use split red lentils without soaking and cooking them first, and sometimes I do, but I was in no mood to make my symptoms any worse so prepared the lentils the way I would any other dried pulse. 

I don't know if its the brand or if its just that they were old (oops, best before last February) but I'm really glad I did.  

LOADs of foul smelling scum came off the top of the pot when I cooked them. Better not to give that to my poor digestive system to deal with.

Fertility Focus

Sweet Potato is full of antioxidants, vitamin C and Vitamin A as well as being a source of potassium, calcium and iron.
Tomatoes are full of the antioxidant lycopene which boosts sperm health and also contain folate, B6, vitamin A and vitamin E.
Lentils are a good source of folic acid, full of iron and provide a non-meat form of protein.

Ingredients

• Cumin seeds
• Onion
• Sweet Potato
• Tomato
• Chicken stock
• Pre-cooked split red lentils
• Lime
• Fresh basil to garnish

Method

1.  Boil some water and plunge the tomatoes into the boiling water.  

2.  Skin (peel?) and roughly chop tomatoes.
3.  Heat soup pot over a medium flame and toast the cumin seeds.  

4.  Add finely chopped onion, sweet potato and tomatoes.  

5.  Allow to sweat for a few minutes.
6.  Add chicken stock and red lentils and simmer until sweet potato is soft.  

7.  Blend with a stick blender.  

8.  Ladle into bowls.  

9.  Squeeze over lime juice and sprinkle with basil.

Enjoy!