Dinner Tonight: Red Lentil and Tomato Soup
Quick-cooking red lentils are a favorite for soups, going from dried-in-the-pantry to tender in 10 or 15 minutes and forming an economical, healthy base full of fiber and protein. Though my very favorite lentils are the du Puy variety (otherwise known as French green lentils), because of their subtle peppery flavor and the way they hold their shape after cooking, they also take awhile to cook. And in a soup, it's not all that important that they stay intact: the lentils that break up during cooking just add to the soup's body.
Lentils can be rather plain-tasting, so it's key to use assertive flavors when cooking them or the result will be an earthy, but plain-tasting sludge. This recipe, adapted from a Bulgarian soup a friend served me recently, relies on a shot of paprika and fresh thyme, which keep the chunky, tomato-y broth interesting. I added a little cayenne as well to raise the stakes. It's a warming soup to guiltlessly fill up on.
About the author: Blake Royer founded The Paupered Chef with Nick Kindelsperger, where he writes about food and occasional travels. He is currently living for the year in Tartu, Estonia.
Red Lentil and Tomato Soup
- serves 4 -
Ingredients
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 small yellow onions, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 can (14 ounces) diced or whole peeled tomatoes
1 tablespoon tomato paste
2 tablespoons paprika
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
1 bay leaf
4 cups chicken or vegetable broth
1 cup red lentils
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
Procedure
1. Rinse the lentils well and set aside. Heat the olive oil in a large heavy saucepan or soup pot over medium-high heat. Add the onion and garlic and saute until soft and golden.
2. Add the tomato paste, paprika, and cayenne, and cook an additional two minutes, stirring often. Add the lentils, stock, bay leaf, tomatoes and a pinch of salt and pepper. Bring to a boil then simmer 10-15 minutes, until the lentils are soft and the tomatoes have broken up. I like to cut them up with a pair of scissors.
3. Add the fresh thyme, reserving some for garnish, and simmer for an additional 1-2 minutes. Taste for seasoning and serve with fresh thyme as garnish.
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4 Comments:
4 quarts of broth??
dtgville at 10:32AM on 02/20/09
This is one of my favorite quick soups! I've been making it for years, but slightly differently. I usually use carrots and celery along with the garlic and onion, and I also toss one or two cubed sweet potatoes in. I'm not shy with the cayenne, either. The addition of the sweet, almost creamy sweet potatoes goes fantastically well with the heat of the cayenne and the acidity of the tomatoes. Then all you really need is a good piece of bread with a little cheese. Mmm!
Elena3141 at 11:44AM on 02/20/09
I've just made this soup successfully with a litre of broth, which I think is about 2 quarts, and even then I had to cook it for considerably longer than the recommended time to boil off the excess liquid. 4 quarts would be far too much, even if you did have a saucepan big enough to hold more than a gallon of soup. This recipe is supposed to serve four, and that's a quart per person before you even add the other ingredients.
It's very tasty cooked with half the recommended broth, though.
Barbs at 2:07PM on 02/20/09
dtgville and Barbs: Sorry for the confusion! The recipe should read 4 cups. I was translating the recipe from metric (calling for 1 quart) and mistyped.
Elena3141: Great idea about adding sweet potatoes. I'll try that next time around.
Blake Royer at 3:59PM on 02/21/09