Red Lentil Soup

Place the lentils in a sieve and rinse under cold water until the water runs clear. Blanch the tomatoes in a pot of boiling water for 10 seconds. Peel the tomatoes, cut in half, remove seeds and cut into small cubes. Peel the onion and cut into thin half-rings. Peel the ginger  and grate finely. Place the lentils in a saucepan along with the vegetable broth, tomatoes, ginger and turmeric and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook over low heat until the lentils are very soft, about 30 minutes. Working in batches, puree the soup. Stir in the cream, return the soup to a boil and season with salt and pepper. Heat butter and oil in a pan, add the onions and the cumin powder and cook, stirring occasionally until the onions are golden brown. Pour the soup into cups and garnish each with 1 tablespoon of the onions.