Lets be honest...I'm broke as shit. Props to that Julie girl who cooked her way through Julia child's cookbook, cause lord knows that must have required more money per month than I make in a year. Because I'm on such a tight budget, I've been forced to start making meals that yield
a lot of food for not a lot of money. To make things even more difficult, my doctor told me my blood pressure was too high and that I needed to lose about twenty pounds. I'm 22. That's such bullshit. But whatever, bitches gotta do what bitches gotta do. So the other night I decided to make lentil soup. Not only is lentil soup high in protein, flavor and nutritional value, but it's also low in fat, sodium and simple carbohydrates. Furthermore, when the chicken stock is substituted by vegetable stock, it's 100% vegetarian. Not only was this dish an absolute vacation for my tastebuds, but it was also super filling, exceptionally cheap and exceedingly delicious. I garnished with a dollop of sour cream, but the beauty of this dish is that it lends itself to many different garnishes. For instance, if one wished to stick with the middle-eastern styling, one could garnish with greek yogurt or perhaps a dollop of hummus. I really liked the sour cream because it added a certain tanginess that really cut through the earthiness of the lentils and the stewed veggies. Anyway...on to my recipe.
a lot of food for not a lot of money. To make things even more difficult, my doctor told me my blood pressure was too high and that I needed to lose about twenty pounds. I'm 22. That's such bullshit. But whatever, bitches gotta do what bitches gotta do. So the other night I decided to make lentil soup. Not only is lentil soup high in protein, flavor and nutritional value, but it's also low in fat, sodium and simple carbohydrates. Furthermore, when the chicken stock is substituted by vegetable stock, it's 100% vegetarian. Not only was this dish an absolute vacation for my tastebuds, but it was also super filling, exceptionally cheap and exceedingly delicious. I garnished with a dollop of sour cream, but the beauty of this dish is that it lends itself to many different garnishes. For instance, if one wished to stick with the middle-eastern styling, one could garnish with greek yogurt or perhaps a dollop of hummus. I really liked the sour cream because it added a certain tanginess that really cut through the earthiness of the lentils and the stewed veggies. Anyway...on to my recipe.
Lentil Soup
1 Bag "Best Choice" lentils
1 1/2 C onion, finely chopped
1/2 C carrot, finely chopped
1/2 C celery, finely chopped
3-4 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
1 can crushed tomatoes
2 T olive oil1 T ground cumin
1/2 T dried thyme leaves, crushed between two fingers
1/2 T curry powder
1 t smoked paprika
1/2 t ground ginger
2 boxes "Swanson" chicken or vegetable stock
2 bay leaves
salt and pepper to taste
To begin, rinse the lentils in water two or three times, then soak the lentils in a solution of water and 1 tablespoon baking soda for at least an hour to "degass" the lentils. Trusts me..it's worth the wait.
Once the lentils are "degassed" and you're ready to begin assembling the soup, saute the onion, celery and carrot in the 3T olive oil until transluscent (about 5 min). Add in the minced garlic, bay leaves and spices until fragrant (about 1 min).
Next, pour in the can of crushed tomatoes and the soaked, rinsed and drained lentils. Stir to coat. Finally, pour in the two boxes of chicken or vegetable stock and bring to a boil.
Once boiling, set your timer for 35 minutes and stir occasionally. I recommend watching an episode of United States of Tara or some other hilariously underrated Showtime show while you wait.
Once your handy dandy timer indicates that your soup is ready, take a spoonful of your glorious amalgamation and test those delightful little lentils for doneness. If they are done, remove the offensive bay leaves and prepare to make the biggest decision of your life: to blend or not to blend.
This soup is delightful blended or unblended, but for a superior epicurean experience, I recommend blending. The velvety texture of the blended lentils is something everyone should experience at least once in their lifetime. If you choose to blend the soup, use either an immersion blender or ladle manageable portions into your regular blender/ food processor and pulse until smooth.
I would say this recipe easily serves 8-10 people, but it also keeps well in the fridge or freezer if you wish to serve it to fewer people, and as with all soups, it's infinitely better the next day.
I cannot believe it's been over a year since I last posted in this blog. The last million-and-a-half days have been so crazy that it's a miracle I'm even still here. I actually began writing this post in November and just remembered today that it was sitting as a draft on my blog. I'll at least attempt to post in here more often, but we'll see how that goes. Anyway, thanks for reading and I hope you have the courage to try my Lentil soup. I promise it's a cinch and won't leave you disappointed.
