A comforting bowl of Lentil soup

Dear foodies,

As promised I bring you another simple dish using the lentils I used here, and this was no accident :) When the weather had turned cold, all I wanted to have was a warm bowl of soup like the one here and here, in the evenings. There is something about a soup that warms you up from the inside.

Spices such as ginger, garlic, cumin, pepper help warm your body from the inside making them your best friend through the winters. Add to them any mix of vegetables and beans and you have a complete meal. I brought out the Moosewood book and looked for a soup recipe using lentils, I adjusted the quantities to my taste but stuck to the basic cooking method.

So here's a bowl of warmth for you ...

Ingredients:

• 1 cup - red/brown lentils
• 4 cups - water
• 1/2 tsp - Vegetable base
  
• 2 nos - small, bay leaves
• 2 rounds of ginger root
• 2 nos - medium sized Carrots, diced
• 1/2 nos - Green pepper, diced
• 1 cup - Onions, diced
• 1 nos - medium sized, Tomato, diced
• 1/2 Tbsp - Olive oil
• 1 tsp - Cumin powder
• 1/2 tsp - Cayenne
• ~ 1 Tbsp - lemon juice
  
• Salt and Pepper to taste
• Yogurt, Onions and Capers for garnish

Method:

1. Wash and sort the lentil and cook them in the saucepan with water, vegetable base, bay leaves and ginger. Once the water comes to a boil, lower the heat to medium, cover and cook.
2. When the lentils are half done, add the chopped carrots, capsicum, tomatoes, salt and simmer till cooked through. Add more water if needed.
   
3. Meanwhile in another pan, saute the onions in the oil until slightly browned. Add the cumin and cayenne, saute for a minute and add it to the soup mix along with the lemon juice, salt and pepper after removing from heat.
4. Pick out the bay leaves and ginger pieces and serve with a spoon of yogurt topped with some chopped onions and capers, yummm!
   

The soup is warm and comforting with the ginger and cumin powder adding the needed heat and spice. The original recipe also used garlic, but I don't like it that much in soups. Its flavor lingers long after you've had the soup and I hate that smell. Capers were my addition, I've added them to my soups before and I like the slight sharpness they have. A spoonful of the warm soup with a touch of yogurt and the crunch from the onions was just perfect!

I am sending this bowl to Sra to help her with her love affair :) She is hosting this month's Legume love affair event that was started by Susan.