Lentil Soup
Go beyond a boring lentil soup. If you get it right, people will be pleading with you for seconds and even thirds! This soup is elevated to a whole new level with the addition of spices and a squeeze of lemon.
Ingredients:
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- Chopped onion (yellow, brown, and white)
- Two minced garlic cloves,
- one large diced carrot (about 1 1/4 cups), a
- nd two chopped celery ribs (about 1 1/4 cups)
- 2 cups or 400g of washed dried lentils, either brown or green (Note 1)
- Four hundred grams, or fourteen ounces, of smashed tomato;
- one and a half teaspoons of cumin and coriander powder;
- one and a half teaspoons of paprika powder
- two dried bay leaves;
- one lemon (zest + juice);
- and one-fourth teaspoon of salt and pepper, each
SERVE:
- Freshly chopped parsley for garnish
- Warm bread, ready to be served
Guidelines
- In a big pot, warm the oil over medium heat. Sauté the onion and garlic for two minutes.
- Add the carrot and celery. Simmer the onion for 7 to 10 minutes, or until it is tender and delicious.
- This stage is crucial to the soup’s flavor base, so don’t rush it.
- Add everything else, excluding the salt and lemon. Stir.
- Turn up the heat and simmer. Remove any surface scum and dispose of it (repeat if necessary while cooking). Close the cover and reduce the heat to medium-low. Lentils should be cooked for 35 to 40 minutes, or until tender.
Take out the bay leaves.
- Thicken Soup: To thicken the soup, quickly blend it two or three times with a stick blender (see the video below).
- Alternately, add two cups to a blender, allow it to cool a little, cover the lid with a tea towel, blend, and then return to the pot.
- To change the consistency of the soup, add a small amount of water. Use salt and pepper to season to taste. Just before serving, grate the lemon zest on top and squeeze in some lemon juice. If preferred, garnish with parsley and serve with warm, crusty bread that has been drenched in butter!
Anxious to make this!!