good day for soup II

Spicy Red Lentil Soup*

This is my version of a curried red lentil soup, adapted & evolved from a recipe I got years ago from Carole.  I'm sure that the curry powder & garam masala are probably redundant, but, well, I'm not really trying to be any sort of authentic here, plus I find that the combination of the two gives great flavor without being too hot for little palates.  If you've got everything on hand, it's quick to throw together & just leave simmering on the stove until dinnertime (like most curried soups, this one is even better the next day, too).  Don't forget to add the lemon juice at the end -- it really brightens up the flavor.

2 T olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp dry ginger
1 tsp garam masala
1/2-1 tsp curry powder (the smaller amount makes a kid-friendly slightly spicy soup)
1/2 tsp ground cumin

1 c red lentils, rinsed & drained
1 can garbanzo beans, drained
1 can diced tomatoes
1 medium carrot, peeled & diced
1 medium potato, peeled & diced

6 c water
2 tsp salt
2 T lemon juice

Heat the olive oil in a big pot over medium heat; saute the garlic, ginger, garam masala, curry powder, & cumin for a couple of minutes (keep a close eye on the garlic so it doesn't burn).

Add the lentils, garbanzo beans, tomatoes, carrots, potatoes, water, & salt to the pot, bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer & cook, partially covered, for about 40 minutes.  When the carrots & potatoes are soft, puree the soup (either use a stick blender to puree it right in the pot or use a regular blender to puree about half of it at a time).  The soup should be nice & thick; if it's too thin, just simmer it, uncovered, a little while longer.   Just before serving, stir in the lemon juice & taste for salt.

I like to serve this with a scoop of plain goat yogurt on top, toasted pita bread triangles for dipping, & a simple green salad.

*also just called Spicy Soup, also called Spicy Soup That's Only Called Spicy Soup Because It's Not Really Spicy, Is It, Mommo?

Comments

[blair]

oh my, I see a little hand holding that spoon. What's your secret for getting kids to eat it? (We are failing miserably over here in the kid-willingness-to-try department.)

As for myself, I would eat it in a second, it looks just yummy and perfect.

[carole]

ah, so you puree it all? My kids think the original recipe is a bit too spicy for them. It's still one of my favorites.

[aprill]

yum.
i will have to make this soon.
all the ingredients are things i almost always have on hand.
what size can tomatoes?

[Scoutj]

Yum!!!

And hey, make sure my email didn't get spammed again!

[sade]

Thanks for the recipe! I tried it today and it was very good.

[craftspring]

Thank you so much this recipe. I "stumbledupon" your website and tried this soup. It was so delicious that night, plus after freezing and thawing for friends. I have chat masala from an Indian friend so I lucked out but I think it could be skipped possibly for people who don't have it. This is going to be one of my staple soup dishes now. Thank you! Oh, and my kids did eat it, BTW.

[costa rica investments]

I wish we could have ordered more, because I loved everything we ate, and every other dish I saw come out of the kitchen also looked amazing.

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Wow, I love Peking duck and never thought to make it myself, but you are always a source of inspiration. Can I just say that when I first saw that picture, I thought had a 6 pack, and was ripped! Regardless of the athletic inclinations of the duck, the final results look amazing.