Topic: Recipes
Mid July already...
the garden's bursting with fresh vegetables, we've just finished the Francophile menu of Bastille Day. Too much typical American grill country and classic, western European food, so, my taste buds started to crave a change.I had a taste for a super-savory and still healthy soup,so I made this wonderful ...
Moroccan Inspired Red Lentil Soup--full of exotic spices, guaranteed to kick lunch or dinner up a few notches. Maybe add some pita, feta cheese cubes and olives on the side?
Moroccan Inspired Red Lentil Soup
Start with:
2 medium yellow onions, chopped, 4 cloves of garlic, minced, 2 chopped carrots, 2 stalks of celery, also chopped.
In a heavy soup pot, saute the above in 2-3 Tbsp olive oil.
Cook vegetables over low heat until onions are translucent, add more olive oil if needed.
Add a large can (28 oz) of petite diced tomatoes and the juice.
Stir in the following dried spices:
2 tsp ground Coriander
1 tsp. Cumin
1 tsp. Ground Tumeric
1 tsp. Spanish Paprika (“sweet” not hot)
1 tsp. Cinnamon
1 tsp. Salt
Several grinds of fresh black pepper
½ tsp. Red pepper flakes
1 Tbsp. dried Parsley and/or equal parts Parsley-Cilantro blend (or can substitute finely chopped fresh)
Add 7 cups of water and 2 cups of sorted, split dry Red Lentils.
Combine ingredients and bring to a boil, then lower heat and cover.
OPTIONAL: Add 1 cup of cooked, finely chopped ham or smoked turkey or keep it vegetarian.
Simmer the soup about 1 to 1-1/2 hours until the lentils are soft. Add additional water if it seems too thick.
Finally, run the immersion blender through the soup for about 10-12 pulses to puree part of the soup for a thick, serving texture.
