Lentil Soup

Here’s my version of the traditional lentil soup.

Makes 10-12 servings (2-3 quarts)

Ingredients

• 2 Tbls oil
• 1 medium (or 2 small) onion, diced
• 3 carrots, sliced into half-moons
• 1 stalk celery, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced or crushed
• 1″ piece of ginger root, peeled and grated
• 2 tsp kosher salt
• 1/4 tsp fresh ground pepper
• 1/2 tsp ground corriander
• 1/2 tsp ground cumin
• 1 pound (16 oz.) lentils, picked and rinsed
• 6-8 cups of vegetable stock (or combination of stock and water)
• 1-15 oz. can of diced tomatoes
• 1 Tbls red wine vinegar
• Sour cream and fresh parsley, for garnish (optional)

Directions

Place the oil in a large soup pot over medium heat.  When the oil is hot, add the onions, carrots, and celery and saute gently until the onions are translucent, approximately 7-10 minutes.

Add the garlic, ginger, salt & pepper, and spices and heat until the spices release their aroma, 1-2 minutes.

Add the lentils and stock and/or water, stir well so everything combines. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat, cover, and simmer until the lentils are tender (approximately 1 hour), stirring occasionally.

Stir in the tomatoes and the vinegar.  Continue cooking until all is heated, approx. 30 more minutes.

Serve with a dollop of sour cream, a sprinkle of fresh parsley, and a good loaf of bread.

Enjoy!

NOTE: I used a combination of french-style green lentils (2/3 lb.) and small red lentils (1/3 lb.) because that’s what I had.  Turns out this combination provides the perfect texture and consistency; the red lentils disintegrate into mush and thicken the soup without any pureeing.  If you use hardier lentils, you may want to give the whole pot a whirl with the stick (immersion) blender after everything is all cooked to get it the consistency you like.

© 2010, Lucinda DeWitt