Lentil soup

I have to admit that lentils were not big on my table.  I certainly didn’t know what they were growing up except as the soup Yaakov sold to Esav but beyond that until we made Aliyah, I’d never eaten them.  First, I ate majjedrah, which is good but since I’m not a white rice fan, I didn’t indulge much.  Then, I tasted lentil soup both homemade by Nadine in my office and believe it or not, down the block in the local makolet (grocery shop).  It first caught my eye since it’s made on the yishuv where our eldest son Dani and Racheli and family live and I figured I’d give it a shot.

So, to my surprise, I really liked it.  And, best of all DH (we work together) liked it too! That’s a win, so, I figured I’d make some soup at home and see if we would add it to our home menu.

I looked up many different recipes and after awhile saw that they all follow a similar pattern.  The big no-no is not to cook the lentils with salt or it will toughen the beans.  Other than that, this is a one pot recipe and you either need a stick blender, regular blender or food processor to turn a pottage of lentils into a delicious soup.

washed and drained lentils

Lentil Soup

1 large onion finely chopped

3 carrots sliced into rounds

1-2 stalks of celery chopped

2-3 tablespoons vegetable oil

500 grams (2 1/2 cups) green/brown lentils

approximately 12 cups of water

Add after beans are soft only!

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon salt

2 heaping tablespoons pareve chicken soup powder

Wash and check lentils, put in bowl with water to cover for a few hours. I just do this right before I hit the hay and cover bowl with plastic wrap and put in fridge overnight so the next day they are good to go. They swell to at least twice their size. I’ve done this recipe without soaking the lentils and while it’s come out fine, I feel this both tenderizes them and cuts down cooking time.

Sautee  the onion in the oil till light brown. Add veggies and quickly toss in the oil with the onions. Add lentils and water, bring to a simmer, cook about an hour on low simmer. Test a lentil between your teeth- no substitute for that tenderness check. If soft, take a stick blender and zuzh the soup to a smooth but still grainy consistency. (You can use regular blender or food processor but hey, get a stick blender- they are inexpensive and useful!  Add the spices, cook a bit longer and serve in deep bowls with crusty bread or crispy crackers. Practically a meal in itself!