I love lentils! But my son, 3? Not so much. This past weekend, 3 graduated from college in LA
(me, a proud mama)!
On our last evening with 3 before heading back home, we went to an Indian restaurant off of Hollywood Blvd for dinner, down the street from his new apartment. Our meal came with a bowl of lentil soup. This soup did not help me convince 3 that lentils were good. My arguments about how good for you they are (high in protein, high in fiber, superfood) was overshadowed by this flavorless, thin, watery soup.
A few weeks ago I found an amazing recipe on ATK, of course, for lentil soup! It was full of flavor and not watery. It was also so, so simple and easy to make. I took this recipe and gave it my own spin.
So, @3, this recipe is for YOU! Happy Graduation! I love you!
Yields 4-6 servings
EQUIPMENT
Large Saucepan
Whisk
INGREDIENTS for SOUP
4 tbsp unsalted butter
2 carrots, peeled and diced
1 celery, diced
1 large union, chopped fine
salt and pepper
3/4 tsp ground coriander
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/8 tsp ground cinnamon
1/8 tsp (or a pinch) of cayenne
1 tbsp tomato paste
1 clove of garlic
4 cups of low sodium chicken broth
2 cups of water
14 cups of red lentils, cleaned and rinsed
2 tbsp lemon juice
INGREDIENTS FOR YUMMY DRIZZLE TOPPING
2 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
1 1/2 tsp dried mint
1 tsp paprika
1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
INSTRUCTIONS for SOUP
Step 1: Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium heat.
Step 2: Add carrots, celery, and onion. Add salt and pepper to taste. Sweat until they are soft and onion is translucent, about 5 min.
Step 3: Add coriander, cumin, cinnamon, and cayenne. Continue cooking and stirring (so as not to burn) until the spices bloom (are fragrant and darken slightly in color), about 2 min.
Step 4: Add tomato paste and garlic. Continue cooking and stirring (so as not to burn), until tomato paste darkens, about 1-3 min.
Step 5: Slowly stir in chicken broth and water, scraping the bottom of the saucepan.
Step 6: Stir in lentils and bring to a simmer (slight boil).
Step 7: Continue to cooking, stirring occasionally, until at a vigorous simmer (gentle boil). You will begin to see some of the lentils start to break down, about 15 mins.
Step 8: Lower heat, and using a whisk, give the soup a good stir for 30 seconds. This will help thicken the soup.
Step 9: Add lemon juice, stir and remove from heat, cover and let sit.
INSTRUCTIONS for the finishing touches!
Step 10: Mix together unsalted butter, dried mint, paprika in a small bowl.
Step 11: Serve soup, drizzle with topping, and sprinkle with cilantro!
SOOOOO YUMMY! This goes great with a salad or sandwich (aka "sangwich")..... especially on a cold day. :)
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