At the risk of committing myself to something I won’t follow through on, I’m going to designate Wednesdays as Would You Like Some … days, and would love submissions if you have a great recipe to share!
Today’s category is bean/grain soups, of which I’m choosing lentils for my submission. I LOVE lentil soup, have tried a lot of different kinds, and have two favorites. The one below is a straight-up lentil soup with no veggies or tomatoes or meat added, and it’s super simple to make. I got this recipe via an article about Bidonville Cafe, a wee little coffee shop just across from my son’s school, and it’s a tiny bit spicy but not too much for my boys.
Please share your own favorite bean/grain soups in the comments, with either the recipe or a link to your favorite. I’ll compile the results over in the forum, where there are a few already. Recipe after the jump.
Bidonville’s Lentil Soup
Yields 6 Servings
Cook Time: about 90 minutes total
Ingredients
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 medium onion, diced
2 teaspoons salt
1 tablespoon pureed garlic (about 4 pieces of garlic)
1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/4 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
3 cups lentils, washed and drained
8 cups vegetable or chicken stock, or water
Process:
Melt butter over medium-high heat in a large stockpot or Dutch oven. Saute onions with salt until they begin to yellow, about 7-10 minutes. Reduce heat to low and add garlic, ginger, pepper, cardamom, cayenne and cumin. Cook until aromas are released, stirring constantly, about 2 minutes. Add lentils and cook an additional 3 minutes, constantly stirring so the beans are evenly cooked.
Add vegetable or water stock, bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, and cook, covered, about 1 hour 15 minutes (less if you use the tiny french lentils). Stir soup regularly to ensure even cooking so the beans do not burn (add stock or water to meet your desired consistency.) When done, beans should be soft inside, with no chalkiness.
Optional garnishes are creme fraiche, sour cream, grated cheese, or sliced avocado … but it’s great all by itself too. Enjoy!