Red Lentil Soup

It's official...my family has gone lentil crazy. My parents went to the health food store last weekend and bought what seemed to me like a year's supply of lentils. Afterward, they followed their successful purchase with a trip to IKEA to buy storage containers for our now gigantic collection. I may be exaggerating the amount of lentils currently in our house...but not by much. In truth, I'm happy that they bought all of those lentils because I really enjoy the taste and it is a very healthy legume packed with lots of protein.

My first attempt at cooking the lentils came in the form of red lentil soup. Red lentils are quite soft and therefore become mushy when cooked; this makes them ideal for soups. Unfortunately, their mushy quality tends to result in a thick stew more often than a liquid soup. However I was determined to make my soup "soupy". I think that I achieved my goal pretty well; the soup was definitely chunky, but not too thick and stew like. It still had a lot of liquid in the end and that made me happy.

The soup was so well received by my family that it caught me off guard. I have only recently started making soups and some of my recipes require tweaking. This time, however, everyone ate the entire soup up as soon as I made it. It makes me proud to know that my soup skills are improving.

Red Lentil Soup

• 2 cups red lentils, rinsed and drained
• 1 large onion, finely chopped
• 2-3 carrots, finely chopped
• 2-3 ribs of celery, finely chopped
• 2-3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 1 tsp paprika
• 1 tsp cumin
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 2 L (6 cups) chicken or vegetable stock
• 1 lemon, juiced
• Olive oil
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Optional: 1/4-1/2 tsp red chili flakes

1. In a large pot, saute the diced carrots, onion, garlic, and celery for 3-4 minutes over medium heat until the onion starts to become translucent.
2. Add the paprika, cumin, and chili flakes if using and cook over low heat for 6-8 minutes.
3. Stir in the tomato paste and cook for an additional minute.
4. Add the lentils and stock and bring to a boil.
5. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for about 25-30 minutes until the lentils are soft and mushy. Keep the pot partially covered and stir the soup occasionally.
6. If you like a smoother consistency, puree the soup in batches using a blender and then return to the pot. I prefer the chunky soup so I left mine as is.
7. Add lemon juice and season with salt and pepper to your liking.
8. Serve the soup with crumbled feta or a dollop of sour cream/yogurt as well as some fresh chopped herbs, such as dill or cilantro.