Recipe: Spiced Red Lentil Soup

This soup makes a delicious vegetarian dinner. It’s great with basmati rice.

Ingredients:

2 cups dry red lentils, rinsed

1 medium organic onion

1 clove organic garlic

3 quarter-sized slices of fresh ginger, diced

5 fresh organic tomatoes (or one large can whole peeled tomatoes)

½ can organic tomato paste

1 teaspoon cumin seed

1 teaspoon fennel seed

½ teaspoon dried chili pepper flakes

½ teaspoon ground coriander

1 teaspoon garam masala spice blend

½ cup chopped cilantro

Juice from one organic lemon

4 tablespoons ghee (clarified butter) or cooking oil

1 tablespoon salt

Preparation:

Boil 7 cups of water in a large soup pot. Add lentils and salt. Boil until lentils have mostly dissolved in water.

While lentils boil, blanch tomatoes by dipping them whole using a ladle in a separate pot of boiling water for 20 seconds. When removed, their skin will peel off easily. Chop and place in bowl. (If using canned tomatoes, pulverize with fork and leave with juice.)

In a sauté pan, warm ghee or oil on medium heat for 10 seconds. Add onions and sauté 1-2 minutes until softened. Add ginger and sauté for 10 seconds, then add garlic, cumin, and fennel seeds. Sauté until seeds release aroma. Add red pepper flakes, garam masala, and coriander. Sauté entire mixture for 5 minutes, removing from heat if spices begin to burn.

Add tomatoes to pan and stir. Simmer for 15 minutes.

Once lentils are completely cooked, add tomato-spice mixture to lentil pot and stir. Simmer on lowest heat for at least 30 minutes. The longer it sits, the more the flavors will develop. 

Just before serving add salt if needed, then cilantro and lemon juice.

Serves 5-8 (or 1 for a week!)