Anyone who knows me, knows I love lentils. This is a wonderfully rich and creamy lentil soup using red lentils. I like to pair it with a side salad and buckwheat bread for a complete meal. You can also make it into a thick curry to serve over rice by cutting back on the liquid a bit or simmering longer.
Ingredients:
- 3 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 Tbsp tomato paste
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp ground black pepper
- 2 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp garam masala
- 1/4 tsp turmeric
- 1/8 tsp red chilli pepper
- 3 1/2 cups vegetable broth
- 1 cup red lentils (do not use green/brown lentils)
- 1 large carrot, peeled and diced
- 2 – 3 Tbsp lemon juice
- 1/3 cup canned coconut milk
Instructions:
- In a large pot, heat the olive oil until shimmering. Add onion and garlic, and sauté until golden, about 4 minutes.
- Stir in the tomato paste and spices and sauté for 2 minutes longer.
- Add the vegetable broth broth, lentils and carrot. Bring to a simmer, then partially cover pot and turn heat to medium-low. Simmer until lentils are soft, about 30 minutes.
- Using an immersion or regular blender or a food processor, purée half the soup then add it back to pot. Soup should be somewhat chunky.
- Stir in the lemon juice and coconut milk.
- Serve soup drizzled with good olive oil and dusted lightly with chili powder if desired.
Adapted from: New York Times Cooking
Village Greens 