No, I can't grow lentils in northern Vermont, but this soup is so easy and delicious and perfect for fall and winter days (it's been my lunch for the past couple of days), that I can't resist giving you the recipe. It's a soup I grew up with, a middle eastern recipe from my mother's kitchen. You start with tiny red lentils which, when cooked, break apart and change to a greenish color in a soup.
Ingredients1 Tbs chopped garlic
2 Tbs olive or vegetable oil
8 cups water
2 cups red lentils
1 Tbs salt
1 Tbs ground cumin
juice of half a lemon
Cook the garlic in the oil till starting to color, then add water and bring to a boil. Add salt and lentils; simmer, covered, till lentils have broken apart, about 45 minutes. Add the cumin and cook a few minutes longer. Add the lemon juice and serve.
One of my favorites too, but you forgot the lemon. Moms recipe calls for the juice of one lemon when you add the cumin
ReplyDeleteCheryl
hmm, if I ever used lemon in this soup, it's lost in the mists of time; in other words, I don't remember ever putting lemon juice in it. But it sounds good! I'll have to try it with my leftovers.
ReplyDeleteMy dad used to keep a big, copper pot of lentil soup on the stove in the winter.
ReplyDeleteI love the red lentils for their color and texture. Maybe a glass jar of them on my black counter ...
:)
the lentil soup I just made was with yellow lentils and ended the same color as yours...i did curry and a few carrots in lovely slices..seemed like the time of year for it.
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