"Fridge Clearing Lentil Soup
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 5 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon ground tumeric
- coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
- 1/2-inch to 1-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and minced
- 1/2 teaspoon dried red pepper flakes
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 cups dried green lentils, picked over and rinsed
- 4 to 6 cups vegetable stock or water
- 1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
- 1 cup chopped carrots
- 1 cup chopped celery
- 2 cups chopped zucchini
Preparation
In a large soup pot (6-quart or larger), heat the olive oil over medium heat and sauté the onion 1 to 2 minutes until softened, then add the garlic, cumin and turmeric
Stir to coat
Add a teaspoon or so of salt and a few cranks of pepper
Add the ginger, red pepper flakes, bay leaves, and lentils
Pour over enough stock to cover
Raise the heat to bring to a boil, then lower to medium-low heat, cover the pot, and simmer
After 15 minutes, add the chopped vegetables (carrots, celery, zucchini
Cook a total of 30 to 40 minutes, checking every 10 minutes to stir the pot
Soup is done when lentils and vegetables are tender, but not falling apart
If soup needs more liquid at any time, stir in a cup or two
It should look like thick soup, but not like thick chili
Pull out the bay leaves and discard
Serve immediately or refrigerate for up to 7 days