Total Time: 35 minutes
Servings: 4 to 6
(Adapted from Moosewood Restaurant Cooks at Home.)
"A golden soup with flecks of red and orange. Variations of this soup are found in cuisines from Egypt to India. It's even better as a leftover, when the flavors have fully mingled. This soup is good served with toasted pita wedges and topped with yogurt, minced onion, or sprigs of fresh mint, parsley, or cilantro. For a simple meal, accompany with a tossed green salad and bread."
1 1/2 cups red lentils
6 cups water
3 bay leaves
4 garlic cloves, chopped
2 slices fresh ginger root, each about the size of a quarter
2 medium carrots (1 cup grated)
1 cup canned tomatoes, or 1 medium fresh tomato, chopped (undrained)
1 small red or green bell pepper (1/2 cup finely chopped)
1 1/2 cups chopped onions
2 tbsp. olive oil or refined coconut oil
1 1/2 tsp. ground cumin
1 1/2 tsp. ground coriander
pinch of cayenne
2 tbsp. fresh lemon juice
salt (about 2 tsp.) and ground black pepper to taste
Sort and rinse the lentils. Put them into a soup pot with the water, bay leaves, garlic, and ginger. Cover and place on high heat.
Prepare the carrots, tomatoes, and bell peppers, and add them to the pot. Bring to a boil, stir, reduce the heat, and simmer, covered, for 15 to 20 minutes, until the lentils are tender.
While the vegetables simmer, saute the onions on medium heat in the olive oil in a heavy skillet for about 10 minutes or until browned. Add the cumin, coriander, and cayenne, and saute for another minute, stirring to prevent sticking. Remove from the heat. When the lentils are tender, remove the bay leaves and ginger from the soup pot. Stir in the sauteed onions and the lemon juice. Add salt and pepper to taste.