Red Lentils
Red Potato
Carrots
Elemental ingredients for my dinner: Esau’s soup, also known as Potage of Lentils.
It is adapted from my often-used soup book, 400 Best-Ever Soups
- 3 T olive oil
1 onion, chopped
2 celery stalks, chopped
1 or 2 carrots, chopped
8 cloves of garlic
1 potato peeled and diced
9 oz. / generous 1 cup of red lentils, rinsed
1 litre/ 4 cups stock
2 bay leaves
1 or 2 lemons, halved
1/2 tsp cumin
Tabsco sauce or cayenne pepper
salt and pepper to taste
flat leaf parsley to garnish
Heat oil in large pan. Add onions and cook for about 5 minutes, or until softened. Stir in celery, potato, carrots, and half of the garlic. Cook a few minutes until beginning to soften.
Add lentils and stock to pan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and cover, simmering for about 25 minutes, or until potato and lentils are tender. Add bay leaves, remaining garlic, and half of the lemons to the pan and cook soup for 10 more minutes. Remove bay leaves and squeeze the juice from the remaining lemons. Stir into soup.
Pour soup into food processor or blender and process until smooth. Tip the soup back into the pan and stir in cumin, cayenne or Tabasco sauce, and season to taste with salt and pepper. Ladle soup into bowls and top each portion with lemon slices and parsley.
MY MODIFICATIONS:
I used my *zester* and topped the soup with lemon zest. I didn’t have parsley, so I used cilantro, which tasted great. I also put a pinch of Parmesan cheese on top.
Enjoy the orange-red deliciousness!
Look’s delish! I think I may have to get that cook book now!
I love how we can see your reflection in the spoon in the last picture too 
Nice touch
Look yummio!!! Thanks for sharing the recipe!!
Yum!! Thanks for sharing =)
Oh hooray for recipes that allow you to break out the zester!:)
Mmm… that sounds and looks delicious! Great photos!
Mmmmmm….mmmm. I’ll have to try that one! Looks like it fits right in with the Project Spectrum…
Yum! That really does look sumptuous.
Yum!
a few hours ago, i happened to come across an awesome site for heirloom beans.
you just gave me a reason to order more. thanx!
Oooh, looks great!
I am valiantly fighting this dreadful bug—– and the soup looks extra delish! Surely something that photographs so well must be yummy!
oh yummy – bookmarking now!
Yum!
Thanks for sharing this recipe! I love lentils and will translate, convert and cook this after work!
So yummy!
mmm – perfect for cold weather!
That looks delicious – thanks for posting the recipe.
Mmmm, that looks great. I’ve been looking for a good, hearty vegetarian soup to warm me up during this snow storm we’re getting!
Oh, that looks fantastic! Tonight and tomorrow’s dinners have to be eaten on the run, but I think this should fit the weekend nicely!
this looks fantastic. i am so making it! thank you, lolly!
Mmm, this looks delicious! And it looks like a perfect application for the best birthday present my husband ever gave me: the stick blender! Thanks for sharing the recipe!
Thanks for the recipe – it looks yummy!
I’ll have to try this variation on my usual lentil soup! Thanks for sharing the recipe!
I’ve made a similar soup in the past and it is filling and yummy mcyum. Thanks for sharing! People need all the encouragement they can get to put more legumes in their diet.
This looks great! I love soups at any time of year, but especially now. I was just about to post about the ribbolita I made over the weekend. Maybe it’s time for an all soup post:)
I made a big pot of your soup this weekend (after thinking about it for a few days) and it’s completely wonderful. I didn’t blend it, as I don’t have a food processor, but it’s good chunky too!
ooh! i’m definitely going to make this this week – i have half a bag of lentils left over from making samosas a couple weeks ago. must take advantage of the last of hot soup season.