Soup! In the winter I have such a craving for thick, warm, nourishing soups. This new recipe from my SIMPLE cookbook by Ottolenghi has quickly become a household staple. Easy to make, rich in flavour, I've made it a few times for guests and everybody love it.
I find it cute how Ottolenghi defines one of the points for being 'simple' that a recipe have 10 ingredients or less. 10 ingredients is not-so-simple in my mind, but this is still a delightful and easy-to-make soup.
photo: Wave tableware and vials s+p shakers. Unique tableware and dinnerware at our online shop.
Curried Lentil, Tomato and Coconut Soup (adapted from recipe by Ottolenghi)
INGREDIENTS:
2 tablespoons cooking oil (I use sunflower oil, the original calls for coconut oil)
1 onion, diced finely
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 inch piece of ginger, peeled and grated
1 tablespoon curry powder
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 cup organic red lentils, rinsed
1 can chopped tomatoes (400 gr.)
1 can coconut milk (400 gr.)
2 1/2 cups water (600 ml.), more if necessary
medium bunch of cilantro, chopped
1 teaspoon turmeric (optional, I sometimes add because turmeric is supposed to be so good for you!)
Sauté the onions, garlic, ginger, curry, turmeric and red pepper flakes in the cooking oil for a few minutes to caramelize the onions and let the spices release their flavour.
Add the lentils, tomatoes and water.
Note: Red lentils cook faster than other lentils, and organic red lentils are so much tinier than the regular red lentils, that the cook even faster!
Let the soup come to a boil, add the coconut milk and cilantro, and lower the heat to let simmer for 20-25 minutes until the lentils are cooked. This time will vary depending on the size of your lentils. This soup a great dish to prepare in advance, it also re-heats really well. Because combining legumes with rice makes a more complete protein (combining the lysine from the beans with amino acids from the grains), I sometimes add half a cup of of rice to this soup too.
