Red Lentil Soup With a Kick
Wednesday, February 13, 2008
My new favorite soup is Red Lentil Soup. Last month I found a recipe for Ethiopian Red Lentil Soup (which was expensive to make and just awful to eat). To make the recipe I had to order a 3 pound box of organic red lentils - special order - from my local health food store. I live in the country and wasn't able to find them anywhere locally.
So the question now was what to do what all those red lentils. consequently I created this recipe which is so good that I have made it twice in the last few weeks. I have also discovered that I could have ordered organic red lentils online - see my sidebar for a link under Shop Vegan). I also added barley for this recipe to create a hearty filling meal in a bowl. You may want to substitute your favorite grain if you aren't a barley fan.
Tip: Red Lentils are smaller than brown lentils and so they cook very quickly making them perfect for soup. Red Lentils are a delicious source of protein. You can use them to make a pilaf using Basmati rice or enjoy them as a flavorful pureed side dish called dahl, a classic East Indian dish. Their beautiful coral color and their earthy taste make them a wonderful addition to any dish that calls for lentils or pasta.
My husband and sons are not soup fans so I haven't listed it as a man-friendly dish. However if the men in your family like soup they are bound to love this recipe. It has just enough cayenne pepper to give it a little kick which most men appreciate.
Karen's Red Lentil Soup
1 large onion, chopped fine
1/2 c shredded carrots
2 stalks chopped celery
6 garlic cloves minced
1 Tbl chopped fresh rosemary
1 bay leaf
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1/2 c pearl barley
1 141/2 oz can diced tomatoes
1 6 oz can tomato paste
10 c vegetable broth or water (if I use water I also add cubes of vegetable bullion)
2 c dried red organic lentils
1/2 c chopped fresh parsley (or 1/4 c dried)
2 1/2 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
Water saute onion, carrots & celery until onion is translucent. Add garlic, rosemary, bay leaf and cayenne pepper and saute for about 2 minutes adding additional water as it evaporates.
Add barley, tomatoes, tomato paste and stock. Simmer over high heat but do not boil. Decrease heat to simmer. Cover and simmer over medium-low for 30 minutes. Add lentils and simmer for another 30 minutes or until barley is tender. Stir in parsley salt and black pepper. Simmer for 3-5 minutes. Discard the bay leaf ans add additional salt and pepper if desires before serving.
-- The last time I made this soup I was too busy to attend to it so I just put all the ingredients together in a stock pot and simmered it for about an hour. It was just fine. I was the only one home to eat it and so I didn't mind the the un-sauted veggies or limp lentils.
Freezes well
Tip: Water saute is the same as sauteing with oil except that you use 2Tbl of water instead of oil. Add additional water as needed.
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Labels: lentils, soup, Vegan, Vegetarian
