Neven Maguire Recipe- Carrot and Cumin Soup

Neven Maguire, Target Lung Cancer Ambassador, shares some of his healthy recipes with us in the run up to his Food Festival in aid of Target Lung Cancer in Clontarf Castle on September 1st.

Carrot and Cumin Soup

Neven says that “this is a great soup to make on a cold winter evening when you want something warm and comforting in a bowl. I’d normally have all of the ingredients to hand, so there’s no need for a special shop. The carrots could be replaced with pumpkin, butternut squash or sweet potatoes with great success.”

Ingredients

2 tbsp rapeseed oil
1 large onion, chopped
450g (1lb) carrots, sliced
1 large potato, chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
2 tsp cumin seeds
1.2 litres (2 pints) vegetable
or chicken stock (from cubes is fi ne)
400g (14oz) can cannellini
or haricot beans, drained and rinsed
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
swirl of cream or yoghurt, to garnish
chopped fresh fl at-leaf parsley, to garnish
SERVES 4

Method

Heat the oil in a large pan over a medium heat and fry the onion for 3–4 minutes, until softened but not coloured. Add the carrots, potato, garlic and cumin seeds and cook gently for 5–6 minutes, stirring until the carrots & potato begin to soften.

Add the stock to the pan and season to taste. Bring to the boil, then cover and simmer for 15 minutes, until the vegetables are tender. Leave to cool slightly, then blitz with a hand blender or purée in a food processor.

Bring the soup back up to a gentle simmer in the pan with the cannellini or haricot beans and allow them to warm through. Ladle into warmed bowls and add a swirl of cream or yoghurt to each one. Finish with a sprinkling of parsley to serve.