Hearty Red Lentil Soup

I love a good soup. One bowl of soup can be a meal with a side of fruit. Going into the cold months, soup always sounds good.

I have been experimenting with vegetable soups and lentil soups. I almost always put orzo in my vegetable soups. Orzo is an under-used pasta — it looks like long grain rice. It is made with durum wheat and semolina flour and has 7g of protein per 2-ounce serving (56g). This version uses vermicelli for a similar hearty, satisfying result.

Hearty Red Lentil Soup

Ingredients

• 3–4 cloves garlic
• 1 onion
• 2 carrots
• 2 stalks celery
• 2 large russet potatoes
• 1 cup red lentils
• 2 tsp cumin seeds
• 1 tsp fennel seeds
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• Generous pinch of saffron
• 1/4 cup hot water
• 1/2 tsp chili flakes
• 1 tsp sweet paprika
• 2 tsp turmeric
• 2 tsp salt
• 2L water (or unsalted veggie stock)
• 1/2 cup small vermicelli
• Lemon juice to serve
• Cilantro to serve
• Za’atar to serve

Directions

1. Finely chop the garlic and dice the onion. Finely dice the carrot and celery. Chop the russet potatoes into bite-sized cubes. Rinse and drain the red lentils and set aside.
2. Heat up a stock pot to medium heat. Add the cumin and fennel seeds followed by the olive oil. Fry for about 10-15 seconds. Add the onions and garlic, then sauté for 4-5 minutes. Add the carrots and celery, then sauté for another 4 – 5 minutes. Place a generous pinch of saffron into a cup, then pour in 1/4 cup of hot water. Allow the saffron to soak for a few minutes.
3. To the pot, add the sweet paprika, turmeric, and salt. Give the pot a good stir. Add the potatoes, red lentils, and saffron water, then pour in the 2L of water or veggie stock.
4. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 20–25 minutes until the lentils and potatoes are tender.
5. Add the vermicelli and cook for another 5–7 minutes until soft.
6. Serve with a squeeze of lemon juice, fresh cilantro, and a sprinkle of za’atar.

Notes:

• I did not have saffron spice, so I just eliminated it.
• Instead of vermicelli I used orzo.
• I also added a can of tomato sauce to it.
• The recipe calls for water instead of broth. I used water. Next time I will use broth, I think it will give it a richer flavor.

All in all, I thought it was a good soup, and I will make it again. One of our meals for the week is a bowl of soup, sandwich with my fresh mill flour and a bowl of fruit. My husband really likes that. He says I make the best sandwiches.

Wil Yeung Recipe