Curried Lentil Soup

I discovered lentils a few years ago, now I’m a big fan-This is a simple recipe that we make often. If you come to my house, chances are, you’ll find little bowls of this soup in the freezer, I send it in lunch boxes quite often, its easy to take and very filling, it keeps the boys full until they get home! This is a great dish for me to prepare, it only takes about 15 minutes for me to put together, then I just let it simmer all afternoon. This recipe leaves lots of trimmings from the vegetables, and I hate to waste anything-I keep peels and ends of the onions, carrots and celery in a big tub in my freezer, when it is full, I toss it all in a pot and make my own vegetable stock.

Curried Lentil Soup

2 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1 Large Onion-diced

3 Cloves Garlic-minced

3 Carrots-peeled and diced

3 Celery Stalks-diced

1 Red Bell Pepper

3 Tomatoes-peeled, seeded and diced (or you can used canned or bottled tomatoes, but decrease the other liquids accordingly)

6 Cups Vegetable Stock

2 Cups Lentils-picked and rinsed

2 Tbsp Curry Powder (I put more than this in, but my family loves coriander)

1 tsp Coriander

In a large pot, heat olive oil over medium heat, add diced onion, garlic, carrot, celery and bell pepper. Cook, stirring frequently until veggies are tender; it usually takes me 7-10 minutes to get my onions translucent. Add tomatoes, veggie stock, lentils, curry and coriander. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 1-2 hours, until lentils are soft; while the soup is simmering, continue to add water so the lentils can keep absorbing the fluid and getting softer and plumper. I usually puree it to serve it, because my kids prefer it that way, but if I’m just eating it myself I leave it as is and sometimes put a little plain greek yogurt or avocado in it.