Spiced Lentil Soup

It has finally become soup weather in Oakland.  It even got down to 38, which is not normal for our area.  My mint froze, and the seeds I planted a few weeks ago are not growing.   It is definitely the season to enjoy a big bowl of this Spiced Lentil Soup.

This soup recipe is inspired by a recipe I saw in Delicious Magazine.  You are going to love this comforting Indian inspired soup recipe as it is packed with flavor.  I use warm spices such as cumin, gram masala, and spicy Marash chilies to season the vegetarian broth-based recipe.  After cooking the soup until the lentils fall apart, I mix in spinach and then top it with garlicky yogurt.  It is really a bright and flavorful soup recipe.

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Spiced Lentil Soup

Ingredients:

** serves 4

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 yellow onion, finely minced

2 carrots, scrubbed clean and cut into small dice

3 celery sticks, cleaned and cut into small dice

1 bay leave

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon Marash chilies

1 tablespoon gram masala

1 1/2 cups orange lentils

7 cups vegetable stock

2 handfuls spinach leaves, I use baby leaves if you use larger, tear or cut into smaller pieces

juice 1/2 lemon

1 cup greek yogurt

1 teaspoon olive oil

1 small garlic, grated on a Microplane

cilantro, to serve with

Fresno chilies, to serve as a garnish

extra lemon wedges

kosher salt

How To:

1. Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan over medium-low heat.  Add the onions and cook until soft;  about 3 – 5minutes.  Add the celery and carrots, stir and cook for another 3 minutes.
2. Stir in the bay leaves, cumin, chilies, gram masala, and the lentils.  Cook for 5 minutes over low heat, stirring every so often.
3. Add the stock, stir and simmer over low heat for 30 – 40 minutes.  The soup will begin to thicken as the lentils fall apart.
4. While the soup is cooking mix the yogurt, 1 teaspoon olive oil, and garlic together.  Set aside.
5. When the soup has finished cooking puree half of the soup in a food processor or blender;  then mix the pureed and the unpureed soups together.
6. Gently reheat over low heat and stir in the spinach and juice of 1/2 lemon.  Remove from the heat and season to taste with salt if you desire.
7. Serve in a bowl and top with yogurt, cilantro, and the chilies.
8. Eat.

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