Name: Carrot & harissa soup with feta toasties
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 1 h 5 min
Yield: 6
Ingredients: 2 tbsp rapeseed or olive oil plus a drizzle; 2 onions sliced; 4 garlic cloves crushed, or 2 tsp garlic purée; thumb-sized piece of ginger peeled and finely chopped, or 2 tsp ginger purée; 2 tsp ground cumin; 2 tsp ground coriander; 2 tsp smoked paprika; pinch of chilli flakes; 500g carrots coarsely grated; 150g split red lentils; handful of coriander leaves picked, stalks roughly chopped; 1½ litres vegetable or chicken stock; 100ml cream (dairy or plant-based), plus a drizzle to serve; 1-2 tbsp harissa plus extra to serve; 250g feta; drizzle of honey plus extra to serve; 6 slices of white bread; knob of butter; 3 tbsp sesame seeds

Carrot & harissa soup with feta toasties

Stash this spicy carrot soup in the freezer for a speedy lunch on busy days. The feta toasties are optional, but well worth the extra effort

1 hr 5 min total 25 min prep 40 min cook 6 439 cal

Instructions

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1 Heat the oil in a large pan over a medium heat and cook the onions for 8-10 mins until starting to soften and caramelise. Stir in the garlic, ginger and spices, and sizzle for 1-2 mins more.
2 Add the carrots, lentils, coriander stalks and stock, along with some seasoning. Bring to a simmer, then cover, reduce the heat to a simmer and bubble for 20 mins.
3 Pour in the cream and stir in the harissa, adding an extra spoonful if you like it spicy. Blitz the soup using a hand blender until smooth, then taste for seasoning. Once completely cool, the soup will keep frozen for up to three months. Defrost completely in the fridge, then reheat in a pan until piping hot.
4 For the toasties, crumble the feta in a bowl and lightly mash along with a drizzle of honey using a fork. Divide the feta between 3 slices of bread, then sandwich with the remaining slices. Generously butter the outside of each sandwich. Tip the sesame seeds onto a plate and press the buttered sides of the sandwiches into the seeds to fully coat. Heat a frying pan or griddle pan over a medium heat and fry the toasties for 2-3 mins on each side until the bread is golden brown and the feta, gooey. Drizzle with a little extra honey, if you like.
5 Stir together a drizzle of oil and a spoonful of harissa. Ladle the soup into deep bowls and top with a drizzle of cream, the harissa oil, coriander leaves and a grinding of black pepper. Serve with the feta toasties for dunking.