Put the lamb shanks into a large casserole and add the turmeric, ginger

Orange lentil soup with turmeric, masala yogurt, toasted seeds &coriander by Darina All en

Serves 6

Ingredients 6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil or butter 225g onions, chopped 2 teaspoons peeled and grated fresh turmeric root 225g orange lentils Flakey sea salt and freshly ground black pepper 1.2 litres vegetable or chicken stock 2 teaspoons pumpkin seeds 2 teaspoons sunflower seeds 1 teaspoon each of black and white sesame seeds A squeeze of lemon juice, to taste Fresh coriander leaves, to serve For the masala yogurt 1 teaspoon coriander seeds 1 teaspoon cumin seeds 6 tablespoons natural yogurt

Method 1 Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a 22cm (3.3-litre) heavy base saucepan. Stir in the freshly chopped onion, then cover and sweat over a gentle heat for 5-10 minutes until soft but not coloured. 2 Add the grated fresh turmeric and cook for a minute or two before stirring in the lentils. Season generously with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. Pour in the stock, bring back to the boil and simmer for 6-8 minutes until the lentils are soft. 3 Meanwhile, mix the pumpkin, sunflower and sesame seeds in a small bowl with the remaining 4 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil. 4 To make the masala yogurt, combine the cumin and coriander seeds in a mortar and grind to a fine powder. Stir into the natural yogurt in a bowl and season with salt, to taste. 5 Whizz the soup to a coarse purée in a blender or food processor. Taste and add a squeeze of lemon juice and some more salt and pepper, if needed. 6 Ladle the soup into wide soup bowls, drizzle some masala yogurt over the top and sprinkle with seeds. Scatter with fresh coriander leaves and serve as soon as possible.

Darina says: “This soup was inspired by a soup I ate and loved at The Little Fox in Ennistymon in Co Clare. I’m not sure how they made it, but here is my interpretation, which I love. It’s made in minutes, really sustaining and super-delicious”