Greetings! Today I am happy to present my recipe for a very rich and hearty and delicious lentil soup.
It is cold outside; windy and wet, the days are dark, and I do have a tiny cute baby that keeps me busy around the clock. Yet I insist on cooking freshly every evening and soup is a wonderful solution – a short time of a prep work and then just throwing in all in a big pot and letting it cook for an hour or so.
As most stewy dishes, this soup is even better the next day so I always make a double portion which is against my eating rule #7 of not eating the same thing two days in a row… therefore I am always trying to avoid leftovers – but that’s not the case here (or in Chili!)
Ingredients for 4-5 portions:
- A few slices of chili
- 1-2 garlic cloves
- 1 medium onion
- 2-3 carrots
- 2-3 ripe tomatoes
- 3-4 celery stalks
- ½ celery root (Wiki taught me that it is also called celeriac or turnip rooted celery)
- 1 leek, only the white part
- A few parsley leaves
- 1 ½ cups of lentils – I used green and orange
Spices mix:
Please note that this section is kind of up to you. I find the cumin and salt to be a must but the rest is pretty much a matter of a taste and of what you have in your spices cabinet!
Mix between 1 tsp to 1 tbsp pf the following:
- Black salt – just because I have some, any salt will do
- Sweet paprika
- Smoked paprika
- Cumin – the must!
- Ground cilantro
- Turmeric
- Curry
For an Indian kick – more curry
For a Moroccan kick – Ras El Hanout
Also an upgrade: more smoked paprika / balsamic cream
Directions:
- Sauté the chili, garlic and onion in a bit of olive oil – low heat
- Add the rest of the veggies: carrots, tomatoes, celery stalks, celery root, leek – stir well and sauté on medium heat for 2-3 minutes
- Cover the veggies in water (1- 1.5 liters usually) stir well
- Wash the lentils mix very well (under running water for 2-3 minutes) and add to the pot – stir well
- Add the spice – stir
- Bring to boiling
- Taste and balance flavors – lentils are salt eaters, add a bit more salt, cumin etc.
- Lower the heat and let cook for at least an hour
- IMPORTANT: from time to time, stir and make sure that there is enough water that covers the soup – unless you want a stew and then let the water evaporate.
- Serve with fresh parsley, a few drops of Sriracha, homemade croutons (see below) and even a spoonful of plain soy yogurt.
Homemade Curry Croutons:
- Cut thick bread/rolls/buns to cubes
- Put in a plastic bag
- Add olive oil, salt, pepper, curry, and optional: paprika, turmeric, cumin, onion powder, garlic powder
- Close the bag and shake shake shake till the bread cubes are all covered with the mix
- Bake on a baking paper for 10-15 minutes or until golden brown [200c / 400f]
- Try not to munch on them before serving the soup!
