Creamy lentil soup with spiced brown butter

A frugal, fiery bowl for the depths of winter

This soothing bowl is what my mind, body and bank balance need at this time of year.

We might have made it through January, but it’s going to take more than getting to pay day to stop us worrying about money.

The nursery fees went up again. The hoover broke. The roof leaked. The service charge needs paying. The ground rent (what even is ground rent?), is due. We can’t afford a house in London, but we need to stay here because we need to work here. The baby needs new shoes again, and trousers and socks and a hat that he’ll never, ever wear.

I say this very much aware that I’m speaking from a place of extreme privilege, as someone who has a good job and is lucky enough to own an (admittedly tiny) home. But for the last few years, like so many of us, there’s been a near-constant hum of niggling financial worry at the back of my mind. What grounds me when the hum bubbles into a roar is to make a bowl like this, with frugal ingredients I have in the fridge and store cupboard, which tastes of much more than the sum of its parts.

Turmeric-spiced lentils are cooked to the point of extreme creaminess, then crowned with a bracing ginger, lime and spring onion pickle, cumin-roasted carrots and sweet potatoes, and a rich, spiced green chilli, mustard seed and garlic-spiked brown butter. You can take out some of the lentils before you add the toppings for an easy toddler-appropriate flex.

Please don’t be put off by the longer-than-usual ingredients list – we’re talking spices and store cupboard stuff you’ll hopefully have to hand.

Serve as it is, with some roti or flatbreads, or with rice and yoghurt for a heartier meal.

Lentil soup with spiced brown butter

Serves 4

For the lentils
300g red lentils
1 brown onion, peeled and diced
3 cloves garlic, sliced
2 tsp turmeric
1 lime

For the carrots and sweet potatoes
2 carrots, diced into 1.5cm cubes
1 sweet potato, diced into 1.5cm cubes
2 tsp ground cumin

For the ginger and lime pickle
Small bunch spring onions, finely chopped
Juice of 1 lime
Small piece fresh ginger, finely chopped
1 tbsp apple cider vinegar

For the spiced brown butter
1 tbsp black mustard seeds
2 green chillies, thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
Small piece fresh ginger, finely chopped
2 tbsp butter
1 tsp turmeric
1 tsp ground cumin

Wash the lentils until the water runs clear, then place in a large casserole and cover with water. Add the remaining ingredients and 1 tsp salt. Bring to the boil, skimming off any residue, then turn the heat down to low and simmer for 20-25 minutes, until the lentils are creamy and tender. Keep checking and add more water if they’re looking too dry. Taste to check the seasoning and squeeze in the lime juice.

Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 190°C fan. Arrange the carrots and sweet potato on a large baking sheet, season with salt and pepper and scatter over the cumin. Drizzle with olive oil and toss to coat. Roast for 20-25 minutes, until tender. This also works well in the air fryer – cook at 180°C for 20 minutes, shaking halfway through.

For the pickle, combine all the ingredients in a bowl and set aside for 15 minutes.

When the lentils are tender and the veg is ready, make the spiced butter. Heat a splash of oil in a small frying pan and add the mustard seeds. When they crackle, throw in the green chilli, garlic, ginger and butter. Cook for 3-4 minutes, swirling, until the garlic is fragrant and the butter is foaming and starting to brown. Stir in the turmeric and cumin.

Serve the lentils topped with the roasted veg, pickle and the spiced butter.

Use it up

If you have extra of the lentils minus the butter and veg, freeze and use as a fragrant base for dinner during the week. Try mixing in some coconut milk and serving with pan-fried tikka paneer or tofu and rice.