Recipe Time: Lentil Soup
Lentil Soup, Not Really Greek-Style Anymore
1/2 lb. lentils, picked over and rinsed
6 cups water (I use filtered because I'm finicky like that)
1 fairly normal-sized onion, chopped
3-5 cloves garlic, chopped (feel free to leave this out if you don't want garlic in your soup)
1 8-oz. can tomato sauce (if you're out of tomato sauce, a splash of vinegar can be substituted)
1 tbsp. garam masala (in a pinch, I'll substitute a cinnamon stick, two cardamom pods, and 5-6 cloves)
2 tsp. salt
1 bay leaf
a splash of olive oil (optional)
1. Soak the lentils for two hours in lots of water (not the 6 cups you're going to cook them in-that comes later), then drain them. (Don't worry too much if you forget this step-I've done that and not really noticed much of a difference.)
2. Get out a nice big pot, dump in all the ingredients, bring the works to a boil, and set it simmering. Let it go for an hour or so, stirring occasionally, or until the onions are soft and transparent and the lentils are fully cooked.
3. Serve and enjoy. It goes pretty nicely with the crustier species of bread.
1/2 lb. lentils, picked over and rinsed
6 cups water (I use filtered because I'm finicky like that)
1 fairly normal-sized onion, chopped
3-5 cloves garlic, chopped (feel free to leave this out if you don't want garlic in your soup)
1 8-oz. can tomato sauce (if you're out of tomato sauce, a splash of vinegar can be substituted)
1 tbsp. garam masala (in a pinch, I'll substitute a cinnamon stick, two cardamom pods, and 5-6 cloves)
2 tsp. salt
1 bay leaf
a splash of olive oil (optional)
1. Soak the lentils for two hours in lots of water (not the 6 cups you're going to cook them in-that comes later), then drain them. (Don't worry too much if you forget this step-I've done that and not really noticed much of a difference.)
2. Get out a nice big pot, dump in all the ingredients, bring the works to a boil, and set it simmering. Let it go for an hour or so, stirring occasionally, or until the onions are soft and transparent and the lentils are fully cooked.
3. Serve and enjoy. It goes pretty nicely with the crustier species of bread.