Curried Lentil Sweet Potato Soup

This soup is wonderful!  So filling and satisfying especially on a cooler rainy spring day!  You can make it vegan by adding cashew cream to it instead of yogurt!

Canola or olive oil for cooking

1 onion, chopped

1-2 garlic cloves, crushed

1 Tbsp finely chopped fresh ginger

1/2 cup dry lentils

1 medium sweet potato, peeled and cut into chunks

1 carrot, peeled and chopped

2 tsp curry powder

4 cups vegetable stock

1/2 cup yogurt or cashew cream (place 1/2 cup cashews and 1/2 cup water into blender and you have it!)

Salt and Pepper to taste

In a large dutch oven heat oil over medium heat and add onion, garlic and ginger.  Cook for about 5-7 minutes until the onions are soft.  Add lentils, sweet potato, carrots, curry powder, stock and 1 cup of water.  Bring to a boil and then turn heat down, simmer for 30 minutes until vegetables are tender.  Add the yogurt or cashew cream and blend with an immersion blender or pour into blender in batches to cream.  Add salt and pepper to taste and serve with whole grain applesauce spice muffins and a big green salad!

Whole Grain Applesauce Spice Muffins

These muffins are so good and go really well with the curried soup!  Just the right amount of spice and full of fiber from the whole grains!  Add flax meal or chia seeds to increase the fiber content further. So delicious you may want to make a double batch!

1/2 cup expellar pressed GMO free canola oil or butter

1/2 cup organic sugar or agave

1/2 cup organic brown sugar or agave

2 eggs

1 cup applesauce with 1 1/2 tsp baking soda

2 cups whole grain flour, barely, oat, spelt, wheat, etc.

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp each of cinnamon and cardamom or just 2 tsp of cinnamon

1/2 tsp nutmeg

1/2 tsp ginger

1/2 tsp cloves

Preheat oven to 375` and grease a 12 cup muffin tin pan.  Whisk all wet ingredients together and then add the dry.  Place in muffin tin and bake for 25-30 minutes until done.