Carrot And Lentil Soup(Heart Healthy) - cooking recipe

Ingredients

12 oz. carrots, diced
8 oz. sweet potato, peeled and cubed
4 oz. onion, coarsely chopped
3 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
24 oz. vegetable stock
1/2 c. red lentils
24 oz. water
1/4 tsp. turmeric
2 jalapeno (whole)
salt
ground red pepper
2 tsp. basil, fresh chopped
1 Tbsp. canola oil
1/4 tsp. mustard seeds, toasted
1 Tbsp. garlic, minced
Rosemary-Garlic Croutons (see following recipe)
basil, fresh chopped

Preparation

Place carrots, sweet potato, onion, garlic, stock and 4 cups water in a large pot and bring to a boil. Lower heat and simmer, covered, until vegetables are tender, 15 to 20 minutes. Process mixture in a blender or food processor until smooth. Return to the pot. In a separate medium-size pot, bring lentils and 3 cups water to a boil. Skim off the surface foam with a spoon and discard. Reduce heat. Add turmeric and jalapeno and simmer, covered, until lentils are tender, about 15 minutes. (When pressed between two fingers, they will crumble easily.) Discard jalapenos. Process the lentil mixture in a blender or food processor until smooth and add to the carrot-sweet potato mixture. Season to taste with salt and red pepper. Add basil. Place over low heat to heat the soup through. Don't let it boil vigorously. Heat oil in a small skillet until a light haze forms. Add mustard seeds. As soon as the seeds start to pop, hold the cover over the skillet if the spices start to fly out. Add minced garlic and cook until golden. Pour this oil-spice mixture over the soup. Serve garnished with the croutons and basil. Yield: 8 portions.