3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 onions, sliced
4 garlic cloves, sliced
1 teaspoon coriander
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
150 g brown or green lentils
1.2 litres vegetable stock
200 g spinach
freshly squeezed juice of one lemon
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 tablespoons of Greek yogurt, to serve
25 g pine nuts, lightly toasted, to serve
Heat the oil in a large, heavy-based saucepan and add the onions. Cook, covered, for 8-10 minutes until softened. Remove half the onion and set aside.
Continue to cook the onion left in the pan for a further 10 minutes until deep brown, sweet and caramelized. Take out and set aside for the garnish.
Return the softened onion to the pan and add the garlic, coriander, cumin seeds, and lentils and stir for 1-2 minutes until well coated in oil. Add the stock, bring to the boil, then turn down to a gentle simmer for 30 minutes until the lentils are lovely and soft.
Add the spinach and stir until wilted. Transfer half the coup to a blender and liquidize until you have a puree. Stir back into the soup. Season with lemon juice, salt and pepper.
Ladle the soup into bowls, add a dollop of Greek yogurt and scatter the pine nuts and fried onions over the top.
