The Commonsense Kitchen makes soup for our Wellington region stores - a different variety every weekday!
Our Pumpkin, Kumara, Carrot & Coconut recipe is a customer favourite. "It's just delicious!" our Kitchen Manager Scott says. "Our stores get a lot of people coming in with diets where they can't eat tomatoes and potatoes, so there are some customers who always ask for it."
We've reduced the quantity a bit, as The Commonsense Kitchen often have 50 litres on the go at one time! "There's a bit of wiggle room with the quantities", Scott says. "For instance, you may like more spice in your soup. Sometimes recipes scale down differently, so it may taste slightly different from the soup we sell in store"
"It's a nice combination of flavours, lots of spices but nothing overwhelming," says Scott. "Just watch out for the whole star anise!"
The perfect lunch
Ingredients
Serves 6-8 People
- A splash of vegetable oil
- 2 onions (peeled & finely chopped)
- 2 cloves garlic (crushed)
- 2 tsp. fresh ginger (crushed)
- 400g pumpkin (peeled & chopped in cubes)
- 400g orange kumara (peeled & chopped in cubes)
- 2 large carrots (peeled & grated)
- 400g orange split lentils (rinsed in cold water)
- 2 tsp. turmeric
- 2 tsp. paprika
- 2 tsp. ground cumin
- 2 tsp. ground coriander
- A large pinch of cayenne pepper
- Pinch cardamom
- Pinch ground cloves
- 1 cinnamon quill
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 star anise
- 1 tin coconut cream
- Salt to taste
Method
In medium pot sauté the onion until golden
Add garlic, ginger and stir for about a minute
Add all spices and cook over a low heat for 1-2 minutes. Pro tip: add a small amount of water to stop the spices burning!
Add all the veges to the pot and cover with plenty of water
Bring to the boil and simmer for approximately an hour until veges are tender.
Add lentils and cook on a low heat, stirring regularly, for about 30 minutes.
Add coconut cream, and salt to taste
Scott Hayles, The Commonsense Kitchen Manager