Monday, November 16, 2009

Lentil soup

Wet and dark days make me think of soup.
In my world everything has an association with food. Weather is a great inspiration for food ideas!
Hot and sunny means light food, easy to prepare and involving very little cooking.
On the other hand, this very wet weather speaks soup to me. Hot fragrant thick soup is a meal in a bowl. Soup is one of the easiest meals to prepare. You basically toss vegetables in a pot add spices, water and boil. Of course there is more to it than just that and the varieties are endless.
So let's start with a basic but totally satisfying lentil soup.
To serve 6 you will need:
1 and 1/4 cup red lentils
1/2 cup of rice
1 large yellow onion, chopped
1/4 cup clarified butter or olive oil
6 cups vegetable or chicken broth or water
1 tbsp vegetable stock seasoning (if using water)
t tbsp ground cumin
salt to taste
lemon wedge (optional)
plain yogurt (for garnish, optional)

Soak the lentils and rice in water and set aside. Heat the oil or butter in a soup pot and sautee onions until soft and opaque. Drain the rice and lentils and add to the pot along with water and seasonings. Bring to a boil and then simmer for 15 to 20 minutes. Serve with a wedge of lemon or if desired try it with a teaspoon of yogurt in your bowl.
Eat Well
Be Well,
Stay warm, dry and happy!

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