big-batch lentil soup
The inspiration for my version of this soup came from the recipe at left, which I found in "Working Mom" Magazine many many years ago (is it still in print?) It was then published in their out-of-print "Working Mom's" cookbook. What a great jump-off it was! Here's my take: * I use more red peppers (4 - 6) or 4 - 6 of a mixture of red yellow and orange * ONLY red lentils - makes a much prettier soup - only a beautiful shade of red/orange with no muddiness. * add 6 - 8 good sized carrots, chopped * 42 oz. diced or petite diced tomatoes * I also up the amounts of cumin, coriander and oregano and ALWAYS add cayenne so the soup has a bit of a bite. * Also make it with homemade chicken or veggie stock, oOR reduced-salt store-bought chicken/veggie stock. * Last, I add the juice of half to a whole lime, and sometimes the lime zest. * Use a food processor to chop all the veggies and a emulsifier in the soup pot to puree and it's easy easy to make! * Cook the soup down (on low heat so it doesn't stick) until it's as thick as you prefer. YUM!
Ingredients For big-batch lentil soup
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3 Tbspolive oil
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1/3 csour cream
- LIME CREAM INGREDIENTS
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1/2 ccilantro, fresh and chopped
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1.25 tspsalt
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28 oztomatoes, canned with juice
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92 ozchicken broth
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4 clentils, red or brown, rinsed
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1.5 tspcoriander, ground
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1 Tbspcumin, ground
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1 Tbsporegano, fresh chopped
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2jalapeno peppers, minced
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3garlic cloves, minced
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3red bell peppers, chopped
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3onions, chopped
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1 Tbsplime juice
How To Make big-batch lentil soup
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1Warm oil in large pot over medium heat.
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2Add onion; cook 3 minutes.
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3Add red pepper, garlic, jalapeno, oregano, cumin and coriander; cook 10 minutes, or until vegetables are soft, stirring frequently.
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4Add lentils, broth, tomatoes with liquid (breaking them up with a spoon) and 2 cups water; Bring to a boil.
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5Reduce heat and simmer 20 to 30 minutes, or until lentils are tender, stirring occasionally; Stir in salt.
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6Remove 1/3 of the soup to food processor fitted with metal blade; Puree soup by pulsing on-and-off.
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7Stir puree back into soup in pot, along with cilantro.
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8For lime cream: In small bowl, mix sour cream and lime juice; set aside for use on top of soup when served.
- Last Step: Don't forget to share! Make all your friends drool by posting a picture of your finished recipe on your favorite social network. And don't forget to tag Just A Pinch and include #justapinchrecipes so we can see it too!