Red Lentil Soup with Lemon

I first tried lentils last winter with the sausage and lentil soup, and I've been enjoying them ever since - in salads, as one-pot meals with veggies and a protein, and most recently, in vegetarian pot pies!  I've always been intrigued by red lentils because as fickle as it sounds, I think they are so pretty!  However, they cook faster than green or brown lentils, which makes them a poor choice for salads - they get mushy and lose all texture.  This is what makes them ideal for soups, as they kind of "melt" into the broth and thicken the soup.

I was really intrigued by this recipe as I read In the Kitchen with a Good Appetite.  I had never thought to pair lemon with lentils, but it makes perfect sense - lentils are earthy, and the bright acidity of lemon is a perfect match.  After I read this recipe, I couldn't get this soup out of my head, and I NEEDED it as soon as possible.  Which led to me on a wild goose chase to four grocery stores looking for red lentils.  I did eventually find them, and as I drove home, I thought to myself that "this soup had better be good."

And boy, was it!  It is flavored with tomato paste, cumin, chili powder, and garlic, and then finished with cilantro and lemon.  It is comforting and earthy, with a nice freshness from the lemon, and a spicy kick at the finish.  I served this with toasted pita, which was perfect for dipping. 

I'm submitting this post to Branny's Charity Souper Bowl blogging event - she is making a contribution to the ASPCA for every soup entry through February 6th.  Though we don't have any pets, I absolutely support this endeavor and this charity.  Thanks, Branny!

Red Lentil Soup with Lemon
adapted from In the Kitchen with a Good Appetite, by Melissa Clark
serves 6-8

• 4 Tbs olive oil, plus additional for drizzling
• 2 large onions, chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 Tbs tomato paste
• 2 tsp ground cumin
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt, plus additional to taste
• 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 tsp chili powder
• pinch cayenne pepper
• 1 1/2 quarts chicken or vegetable broth
• 2 cups red lentils
• 2 large carrots, peeled and diced
• juice of 1 lemon, plus more for serving
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Heat the oil in a large pot over high heat until shimmering.  Add the onions and saute until golden brown, about 4 minutes.

Stir in the garlic, tomato paste, cumin, chili powder, cayenne, salt, and pepper.  Saute an additional 2 minutes.

Add the broth, 2 cups water, the lentils, and the carrots.  Bring to a simmer, then partially cover the pot and reduce the heat to medium-low.  Simmer until the lentils are soft and breaking down, 30 minutes.  Taste and add more salt if necessary.

Use an immersion blender to puree the soup to acheive a chunky consistency (or transfer half to a blender or food processor, puree, and return to the pot).

Stir in the lemon juice and cilantro.  Serve the soup drizzled with olive oil and additional lemon slices.  Dust lightly with chili powder, if desired.

Mushroom & Lentil Pot Pies with Gouda Biscuit Topping

I know its a long title, but I couldn't leave anything out and still convey the spirit of the dish.  During the cold months of the year, I'm a sucker for any sort of pot pie.  Though I typically prefer a pie crust topping, I couldn't resist making this one - I mean, there's gouda in the topping!  And not only that, but the filling is hearty, filling, healthy, and delcious.  Mushrooms, lentils, potatoes, carrots and onions make up the bulk of it, and its flavored with plenty of garlic, thyme, soy sauce, and sage.  I actually was a little hesitant about the soy sauce - I thought it seemed a little out of place given the rest of the flavor profile, plus it calls for 4 teaspoons - that's 1 teaspoon per serving!  So I decreased it quite a bit, but when I tasted the filling before baking, it definitely needed the extra seasoning.

The pies are homey and comforting, but packed with great nutrients, while still being relatively low in fat.  I think these would be a great vegetarian option for Thanksgiving.  Your vegetarian guests will feel special that they get their own personal pot pie - and the omnivores will be jealous when they're stuck with boring ole' turkey!


One Year Ago:  Chicken Tortilla Soup


Mushroom and Lentil Pot Pies with Gouda Biscuit Topping
adapted from Bon Appetit, November 2010
serves 4


Filling

• 1/2 cup french green lentils
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 ounce dried porcini mushrooms
• 2 Tbs olive oil, divided
• 6 ounces fresh mushrooms, sliced
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 carrot, cut into 1/4-inch thick rounds
• 1 1/2 tsp ground sage
• 1 tsp fresh thyme
• 2 large garlic cloves, minced
• 2 Tbs all-purpose flour
• 2 medium Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch chunks
• 4 tsp soy sauce
• 1 Tbs tomato paste

Topping

• 1 cup plus 2 Tbs all-purpose flour
• 6 Tbs yellow cornmeal
• 1 1/4 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 4 Tbs chilled unsalted butter, diced
• 1/2 cup buttermilk
• 3/4 cup shredded Gouda Cheese

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Combine 3 cups cold water, lentils, and 1/4 tsp salt in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat, cover, and simmer until lentils are tender, 25-30 minutes.  Drain and set aside.

Pour 3 cups of boiling water over the dried mushrooms in a medium bowl.  Soak 25 minutes.  Remove the mushrooms from the soaking liquid, and squeeze dry. Chop coarsely and reserve soaking liquid.

Meanwhile, heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.  Add the fresh mushrooms and saute 3-4 minutes.  Add the remaining tablespoon of oil, the onion, carrot, sage, and thyme.  Cook 4minutes, then add the garlic.  Saute until fragrant, about 30 seconds.  Reduce heat to medium-low and mix the flour into the vegetables.  Cook 1 minute, then add the porcini soaking liquid.  Mix in the chopped porcinis, potatoes, soy sauce, and tomato paste.  Cover; simmer until the potatoes are tender, 13 to 15 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender.  Add the lentils and season the filling with salt and pepper.  Divide among 4 ovenproof bowls and transfer to a baking sheet.

To make the topping, combine the flour, cornmeal, baking powder, and salt in the bowl of a food processor.  Blend 5 seconds.  Add the butter and pulse until the mixture resembles coarse meal.  Add the buttermilk and pulse until the dough forms moist clumps.  Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead briefly to form a cohesive ball.  Divide into 4 portions and shape each one into a 2/3-inch thick disk.  Set rounds atop filling, sprinkle with cheese, and sprinkle with coarse salt.

Bake until a tester inserted into the biscuit comes out clean, about 30-35 minutes.

Chorizo and Lentil-Rice Salad

After rediscovering lentils over the winter, I pledged to use them more and more in my cooking, and then... I didn't.  On the one hand, I kind of just forgot about them, but on the other hand, they seem more like a winter grain if there is such a thing.  I think of lentils as being parts of stews, soups, and hearty winter meals.

This dish however, is a great example of how lentils can be used in a salad.  Lentils are cooked with rice, then tossed with cucumber, chorizo, red onion, herbs, and a smoky-spicy chipotle dressing.  Served on a bed of spinach, this was such a wonderfully comforting dinner, and the leftovers made for a fantastic lunch.  I loved how the spiciness of the chorizo and chipotle dressing played off the coolness of the cucumber and the warmth of the lentils and rice.

The original recipe called for ham, but we are much bigger fans of chorizo, so I went with that.  I also subbed a roasted poblano for the red bell pepper.  This was a super easy meal to put together, its healthy, delicious, and perhaps the best part - my 2 year old gobbled it right up!

As an aside, check out the Featured Recipes page - I've updated it with lots of fun foods for football season!

One Year Ago:  Chicken Mole

Lentil-Rice Salad with Chorizo, Cucumber, Red Onion, and Herbs
adapted from Rick Bayless, Mexican Everyday
serves 4

• salt
• 2/3 cup lentils (Le Puy or brown)
• 1/2 cup long-grain rice
• 4 ounces chorizo, cassings removed
• 1 small red onion, very thinly sliced
• 1 medium cucumber, peeled and seeded, cut into 1/4-inch cubes
• 1 medium poblano pepper, roasted, peeled, and diced
• 8 ounces salad spinach, long stems removed, roughly chopped
• 2 Tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro or scallions

Chipotle Dressing:

• 2/3 cup vegetable oil
• 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
• 1-2 canned chipotle chiles en adobo
• 1 teaspoon chipotle canning sauce
• 1 Tablespoon fresh oregano

Fill a large saucepan with about 2 quarts of water and set over high heat.  Add 1 Tablespoon of salt, and when the water boils, stir in the lentils and rice.  Reduce the heat slightly, but keep the water at a brisk boil, and cook until the lentils and rice are tender (no chalkiness inside) but aren't falling apart, about 15 minutes.  Pour into a strainer and drain completely.

Meanwhile, crumble the chorizo into a pan set over medium-high heat, and cook, breaking up large pieces with a wooden spoon, until the meat is cooked through.  Drain off excess fat and set aside.

Combine the oil, vinegar, chile, canning sauce, oregano, and a scant teaspoon of salt in a food processor.  Process until smooth and set aside.

Scoop the lentil-rice mixture, red onion, and the chorizo into a large bowl.  Pour in about 1/4 cup of the dressing and toss well.  Add the ham, cucumber,  and roasted poblano to the mixture and toss to combine.  Taste and season with additional salt if necessary.

In another large bowl, add the spinach, and drizzle on about 3-4 tablespoons.  Toss to combine, and divide the greens among serving plates, roughly forming nests.  Scoop a portion of the lentil salad into the center of each, sprinkle with cilantro or scallions, and serve.

Sausage and Lentil Soup

Lately I have felt as though Joey and I have fallen into a bit of a food rut.  I'm still cooking just as much as I normally do, but I'm cooking with the same ingredients over and over.  So I set out to find some new ingredients and inspiration, and I happened upon lentils.  I used to eat them a lot growing up as a vegetarian, but it had been years since I had eaten them, and I've never made them.  I browsed some cookbooks and blogs, and happened upon Ina Garten's Lentil Vegetable Soup.  And then, I happened upon Tara's version, which uses sausage.

Quite honestly, I was a little nervous to serve lentils to Joey.  He will usually eat pretty much anything I put in front of him, but I was worried he would turn his nose up at lentils.  Well, he proclaimed as he ate that he really likes lentils, and that I should cook with them more often.  Success!!

Tara uses kielbasa in her version, but I opted for Turkey Italian Sausage.  I just though that would be a nice flavor profile, and I had some to use up anyway.  I made this during our recent Snowpocalypse, and it was a perfect dinner for a cold and snowy night.

Just be forewarned:  this makes a LOT of soup.  I halved the recipe, and we still had several days worth of leftovers.


Sausage and Lentil Soup
adapted from Smells Like Home, originally from Ina Garten, Barefoot in Paris
serves 8-10

• 1 pound French green lentils
• 2 pounds Italian sausage, sliced 1/2-1 inch thick
• 4 cups chopped yellow onion (3 large)
• 4 cups chopped leeks, white and light green parts only
• 1 Tablespoon minced garlic (3-4 cloves)
• 1/4 cup olive oil, plus more for drizzling on top
• 1 Tablespoon kosher salt
• 1 1/2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 3 cups medium-diced celery (8 stalks)
• 3 cups medium-diced carrots (4-6 carrots)
• 3 quarts chicken stock
• 1/4 cup tomato paste
• 2 Tablespoons red wine
• Freshly grated Parmesan cheese

In a large bowl, cover the lentils with boiling water.  Allow to sit for 15 minutes and drain.

In a large stockpot over medium heat, brown the sausage 2-3 minutes per side.  Set aside on a paper towel-lined plate and set aside.

Saute the onions, leeks, and garlic with the olive oil, salt, pepper, thyme, and cumin for 15-20 minutes, until the vegetables are translucent and very tender.  Add the celery and carrots and saute for another 10 minutes.

Add the chicken stock, tomato paste, lentils, and sausage.  Cover and bring to a boil.

Reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 1 hour, until the lentils are cooked through.

Adjust the seasonings if necessary, and add the red wine.  Serve hot, drizzled with olive oil and sprinkled with Parmesan cheese.