Thursday, June 16, 2011

Lentil Soup

We had Thanksgiving with our neighbors, and while channeling our inner Martha Stewart, we decorated candles with different kinds of beans using a double-sided tape. I must admit, i usually do not cook with beans and I picked these beans for their aesthetics more than their possible culinary uses. I was fortunate to have my leftover beans be something I could and was excited about using.

While i have never had Lentil Soup before, I found a recipe that sounded good and was well reviewed on epicurious.com and decided to make it. All I can say is yum!






Ingredients

  • 3 tablespoons extra–virgin olive oil
  • 2 cups chopped onions
  • 1 cup chopped celery stalks plus chopped celery leaves for garnish
  • 1 cup chopped carrots
  • 2 garlic cloves, chopped
  • 4 cups (or more) vegetable broth
  • 1 1/4 cups lentils, rinsed, drained
  • 1 14 1/2–ounce can diced tomatoes in juice
  • Balsamic vinegar (optional)

Preparation

Heat oil in heavy large saucepan over medium–high heat. Add onions, celery, carrots, and garlic; sauté until vegetables begin to brown, about 15 minutes. Add 4 cups broth, lentils, and tomatoes with juice and bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium–low, cover, and simmer until lentils are tender, about 35 minutes.
Transfer 2 cups soup (mostly solids) to blender and puree until smooth. Return puree to soup in pan; thin soup with more broth by 1/4 cupfuls, if too thick. Season with salt, pepper, and a splash of vinegar, if desired, and I definitely would. Ladle soup into bowls. Garnish with celery leaves.
Yum!

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