Lentil Vegetable Soup

Makes 6 servings (or more if you add more veggies than it calls for – we do!)

• 1 Tbsp Olive oil
• 1 Large onion, diced
• 2 Cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 1 tsp Curry powder or ground cumin
• 1 Unpeeled carrot, diced
• 1 Stalk celery, diced
• 1 Unpeeled potato, cubed
• 1 cup Dried red lentils, rinsed
• 5 cups 1 10oz (284 ml) tin of low-salt chicken broth plus 4 cups of water or 5 tsp powdered low-salt chicken stock plus 5 cups of water
• ½ tsp Pepper
• Salt to taste
• 1 Tbsp Lemon juice
• Dash Hot red pepper sauce, optional
• 2 Tbsp Chopped fresh cilantro or parsley

Directions:

1.      Heat oil in fry pan. Add onion and garlic and cook until tender and fragrant for about 5 minutes. Add curry powder or cumin and cook for 30 seconds.

2.      Add carrot, celery and potato. Combine well. Stir in lentils and stock. Bring to a boil.  Add pepper and salt. Cook gently, covered for 30 minutes.

3.      Serve chunky or puree for smoother texture (use a hand blender and puree it right in the pot on the stove). Add lemon juice and hot pepper sauce. Taste and adjust seasonings, if needed. Serve sprinkled with cilantro.

TIP: Dried lentils don’t need to be soaked before cooking.  Red lentils cook in about 10 minutes and green lentil in about 30 minutes.

Make ahead: refrigerate for up to four days or freeze for up to a month.  

Source: Bonnie Stern, Simply HeartSmart Cooking. Random House, Toronto, 1994.