Curried Red Lentil Soup

Modest cook that I am, I must say this must be one of the best lentil soups I have ever prepared. I adapted it from At Home with Madhur Jaffrey. Easy to prepare, this dish is a good choice for a mid-week meal or anytime for that matter served with rice or an Indian flatbread. Slightly smoky, spicy and creamy, this healthy blend of ingredients is warming and won't fail to tickle your taste buds.

I served this as a rather unconventional vegetarian Christmas meal with fresh cooked white rice, a Caesar salad, cheese biscuits and assorted vegetables.

This recipe goes to Priya, who is hosting this month's MLLA, a legume event started by dear Susan of The Well Seasoned Cook.

Curried Red Lentil Soup

Recipe by Lisa Turner Adapted from At Home with Madhur Jaffrey: Simple, Delectable Dishes from India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka Cuisine: Indian Published on December 28, 2010 Simple but astonishingly flavorful spiced red lentil soup — a comforting and nourishing bowl at any time of year Print this recipe Soup: 1 cup red lentils, well rinsed and drained 4 cups water or vegetable stock 1/2 teaspoon turmeric 1 medium carrot, diced generous handful of parsley or cilantro, chopped Seasoning: 2 tablespoons olive oil 1 small onion, chopped 1 inch piece fresh ginger, grated or minced 1 teaspoon ground cumin 1 teaspoon ground coriander 1 teaspoon curry powder 1/2 teaspoon cayenne 2 large tomatoes, finely chopped 1 teaspoon sea salt, or to taste Instructions: Thoroughly rinse the lentils and combine with the water or vegetable stock in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil. Add the turmeric, carrots and parsley or cilantro, partially cover, and reduce the heat to low. Simmer for 45 minutes or until the lentils are soft and tender, stirring occasionally. For the seasoning, heat the oil in a frying pan over medium heat. When hot, add the onion and stir for 5 minutes or until the onion is softened and begins to brown. Now add the ginger, cumin, coriander, curry powder and cayenne, and continue to stir for 1 minute. Now add the tomatoes amd simmer, stirring occasionally, until the tomatoes are softened — about 10 minutes. Add the tomatoes and spices to the cooked lentils and let the soup simmer, covered, for another 10 minutes, stirring occasionally and adding more water if necessary to achieve your desired consistency. Remove from heat and blend a portion of the soup with a hand blender or in a food processor or countertop blender. Serve hot. Makes 4 to 6 servings

More lentil soups from Lisa's Vegetarian Kitchen:
Curried Carrot and Lentil Soup with Cashews
Green Lentil Soup with Cashew and Coconut Milk
Lentil Soup with Prunes and Apricots
Greek Lentil Soup