The end of the semester, winter break, and my comprehensive exams threw me for a bit of a loop regarding the blog, but I'm happy to say I'm back on a regular posting schedule with recipes planned for the next three weeks! I'm so excited to start off with my mother's recipe for lentil soup. When I told my roommate I had bought lentils to make this she said, "Why did you buy lentils? You have some already!" It's true, I did have red lentils in the cupboard, but I needed green lentils for this dish. We're pretty serious about our lentil love in this apartment. That love is incredibly justified - lentils are one of the most protein packed legumes and a great source of fiber in addition to being delicious and texturally interesting. This soup is my version of winter comfort food and brings back a lot of strong memories from my childhood. While this isn't necessarily a quick cooking dish, the active prep time is minimal, so it's great to make when you need to do some chores around the house for the hour that it simmers away.
Start by sautéing half a large onion and grating one medium sized carrot. Season the vegetables liberally with salt and pepper, and season again when you add the lentils to the pot. This soup gets its flavor from the vegetables, so be generous with salt to make sure it is a well seasoned soup. Add the lentils to the pan and stir for a few moments until the lentils are shiny and coated in oil. Then add four cups of water and one beef bullion cube to the pot and bring to a boil. Let the lentils simmer partially covered for one hour, stirring occasionally.
My personal favorite way to eat lentils is spooned over elbow macaroni with a little drizzle of olive oil and grated parmesan cheese. This soup is also great over rice (my mom's favorite) or by itself.
Lentil Soup
Ingredients
- 1 cup green lentils
- 1/2 large yellow onion
- 1 medium carrot
- 1 beef bullion cube
- 4 cups of water
- Salt and pepper
Instructions
- Dice onion and shred carrot on the small holes of your box grater
- Coat the bottom of a pot with olive oil and bring to medium heat
- Saute vegetables until cooked through and add one cup of lentils, stir to combine
- Add four cups of water and one beef bullion cube and bring to a boil
- Lower heat to a simmer and cook partially covered for one hour, stirring occasionally
- Serve alone, or with small pasta or rice
