To Warm You Up & Red Lentil Soup

The weather here in New England has been so cool, crisp and quintessentially fall. I thought I'd take a break from my remaining two Maine posts' to share a delicious soup I made last week.
Come this time of the year I'm always looking for recipes that are warm, comforting, delicious, and if at all possible, recipes that manage to be packed with goodies to keep us healthy, too. This soup happens to fall under all those categories. This was my first experience with lentils; They're nutty, rich and filling. If I could liken them to anything, it would maybe be the garbanzo bean. Small as red lentils are, they share some of the same hearty characteristics. The soup was so quick and easy to make. And served with my second batch of Harvest Squash Bread, this has easily become a new seasonal favorite.

Red Lentil Soup

Recipe courtesy and Adapted From Epicurious

















Ingredients:

1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, chopped
2 carrots, chopped (1 cup)
1/2 cup chopped fresh or canned tomato (I used both)
1 celery rib, chopped
1 1/4 teaspoons ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup dried red lentils
3 cups water
2 1/2 cups vegetable broth
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
Salt and Pepper to taste



















Preparation:

Place heavy 5-quart sauce pan or Dutch oven over medium/high heat, add oil and heat until oil becomes hot but NOT smoking. Add in chopped onion and sauté for about five minutes, or until tender and light golden in color. Add garlic, carrots, tomato, celery, cumin, and salt. Sauté (stir), continue stirring for two minutes. To vegetables, add dried red lentils, water and broth. Turn heat down and simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in lemon juice, fresh parsley and season to taste with salt and pepper.