Curried Carrot and Red Lentil Soup

It's soup season! First up... Curried Carrot and Red Lentil Soup!

I had a version of this at a restaurant the other day, and fiddled around with making my own recipe... and it turned out great!

Curried Carrot and Red Lentil Soup

2 Tbsp unsalted butter
1 tsp olive oil
1 medium onion, peeled and finely minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp. Madras curry powder (or use regular curry powder, just not "red" curry powder)
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 lg. leek, white and light green parts, washed well and diced
5 medium carrots, peeled and diced
1c. dried red lentils
6-8c. chicken stock
salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 creme fraiche or sour cream
Pinch of cayenne pepper

garnish:

cilantro leaves
sour cream

In a heavy 3 quart casserole, melt the butter together with the oil over low heat. Add the onion and leeks and cook, stirring often, for 3-4 minutes or until the onion is soft but not browned. Add the garlic, curry and cumin and blend well into the onion mixture. Add the carrots, lentils, and 6 cups of stock or bouillon and season with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer the soup, covered, for 1 hour to 1 hour and 15 minutes, or until the lentils are very tender. If the soup gets too thick, add some of the remaining stock.

Whisk in the creme fraiche or sour cream. Taste the soup and correct the seasonings, adding a pinch of cayenne. Serve the soup in individual bowls, accompanied by crusty French bread and garnished with cilantro leaves. Serve a bowl of sour cream on the side. Serves 6.