When I'm feeling particularly pathetic, which I have been thanks to the week-long never ending rain we had, I like to make this French Lentil Soup. It reminds me of my mom who would always make me or my dad a pot when we frowned for more than two days in a row.
Ingredients
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large Spanish onion, diced
2 carrots, roughly chopped
2 parsley roots, roughly chopped
1 large leek, rinsed well and roughly chopped
1 tablespoon ground coriander
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 cup red lentils, rinsed very well
1 15-ounce can/box chopped tomatoes
2 cups vegetable broth
2 cups water
salt, pepper and lemon to taste
Method
Saute onions, carrot, parsley root and leek in olive oil over medium heat until soft, about 8 minutes. Add spices and saute until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Toss in lentils and stir to coat. Add tomatoes, broth and water and bring to a boil. Once boiling, cover pot and lower heat to simmer. Simmer for 35 minutes. With an immersion blender, pulse a few times to break up the bigger chunks of vegetables. Just a few times though because this is meant to be a chunky, rustic soup. Add salt, black pepper and lemon juice to taste. Serve with a sprinkle of fresh parsley and a big hunk of bread and pray for the rain to go away.
Image © Yvonne Penzakov for BitchBuzz.com