Hopefully this creamy, healthy, spicy soup will keep our friends warm in the cold weather….This soup is fast, easy and nutritional, with tons of veggies and lentils. I like making it a little spicy, and love using a fresh mexican salsa, avocado, tomato and cucumber salsa and/or even shredded radicchio salad on top…a dollop of sour cream works too!!
Creamed Lentil and Vegetable Soup
Ingredients
-2 1/2 cups of green lentils rinsed
-4 stalks of celery chopped in chunks
-1 large yellow onion cut in chunks
-3 scallions peeled and quartered
-5 carrots peeled and chopped in chunks
-2 cups of chopped mushrooms
-1 red bell pepper cut in chunks
-1 red hot pepper fresh chopped finely
-4 cloves of garlic, peeled whole and smashed
-1 ripe tomato cut in pieces or 1tbls tomato paste
-5 cups of broth vegetable, chicken of beef
-2 tbls olive oil extra virgin
-1 tsp cumin seeds
-1 tbls of chili powder
-1tsp of ground oregano
-sea salt and ground pepper
Directions
-in a soup pot add olive oil, garlic cloves and hot pepper, lightly brown the garlic to release it’s flavor
-add all the vegetables and lentils, stirring with the pepper and garlic
-add the broth and seasonings
-cook on low heat until all vegetable and lentils are soft 45-60 minutes (note-if lentils absorb cooking liquid add more broth at anytime during cooking)
-off of the heat, with an immersion blender puree the soup into a cream
-serve with chopped avocado, fresh salsas and or sour cream
Buon Appetito
