It's not much of a looker but it's got a great soul... Lentil soup that is. So earthy and warm.
Lentil Soup
Ingredients:
3 garlic cloves, chopped
1 large onion, diced
1 cup carrots, diced
2 tsp kosher salt
2 large tomatoes (beefsteak works great), sliced
balsamic vinegar
olive oil
1 tsp sugar
salt & pepper
1 lb lentils, picked and rinsed
8 cups of chicken or veggie broth
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp ground cumin
salt & pepper
balsamic vinegar
Directions:
Preheat oven to 450. Slice tomatoes into 1/2 inch slices. Combine balsamic vinegar, oil, sugar, salt and pepper in a large bowl. Add tomatoes and allow to marinate for 10 minutes, tossing to coat. Spread tomatoes on an aluminum lined baking sheet. Drizzle each with remaining dressing and sprinkle with a little salt and pepper. Roast for about 25 minutes. Once they are cool enough to touch, peel off skin and chop up just a little.
Drizzle enough olive oil in a large soup pot to coat bottom. Heat over medium. Once hot, add garlic, onion, carrots and salt. Stir and allow that to sweat for about 7 minutes or until the onions are translucent.
I have a real dislike for celery but if you don't mind its putrid taste, cut the carrots portion in half and dice a 1/2 cup of celery into the mix. I used a mini food processor to speed up the chopping a bit. It's very easy and helps keep things a little more uniformed.
To the pot add: tomatoes, lentils, broth, coriander and cumin. Stir and turn heat up to high to bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 30-40 minutes or until lentils are tender.
Remove half of the mixture into a blender (mostly solids, but enough liquid to blend). Cover lid with a towel and blend until smooth. Return to pot and stir.
Ladle into bowl and drizzle a little bit of balsamic into each bowl. I served it with a crusty bread that I sliced into thick slices, drizzled with olive oil, broiled until toasted and rubbed fresh garlic on each slice. AMAZING!
