Spicy Red Lentil Soup

Red lentils soften up quickly when cooked, which makes them great for thickening soups. Tamarind paste has a sweet-sour flavor and can be found in Indian groceries or high-end supermarkets. Serves 6.


Ingredient List
* 1 cup red lentils
* 1 tsp. salt
* 1 15-oz. can diced tomatoes
* 2 Tbs. minced fresh ginger
* 1 Tbs. vegetable oil
* 2 cloves garlic, minced (2 tsp.)
* 1 15-oz. can light, unsweetened coconut milk
* 1 Tbs. tamarind concentrate or paste, optional
* 1 Tbs. ground coriander
* 1 tsp. ground cumin
* 1 tsp. turmeric powder
* 1 small jalapeño, stemmed, seeded and minced
* 1/4 cup chopped cilantro

Directions
1. Combine lentils, salt and 5 cups water in large saucepan. Cover, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer, partially covered, 20 to 25 minutes, or until lentils are tender. Blend lentils with whisk for rustic texture, or purée in food processor for creamier feel.

2. Purée tomatoes and ginger in blender or food processor until smooth. Set aside.

3. Heat oil in large pot over medium heat. Add garlic, and cook 30 seconds, or until just golden, stirring often. Add tomato mixture, coconut milk, tamarind if desired, coriander, cumin, turmeric and jalapeño. Simmer 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

4. Stir in lentils, and simmer, partially covered, 20 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle with cilantro, and serve.

Spicy Red Lentil Soup » Vegetarian Times Issue: October 1, 2006 p.60

Lentil Soup

Ingredients
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion
1 cup brown lentils, picked over and rinsed
4 cups water
2 medium carrots, peeled and diced
2 small kohlrabi or other root vegetables, peeled and diced
1 stalk celery, diced
1 medium potato, peeled and diced
1 large tomato, cored, seeded and diced
salt and freshly ground black pepper
plain low-fat yogurt (optional)

Cooking Instructions
1. In a large saucepan, heat oil over medium-high heat. Sauté onion until lightly browned, 5 minutes.

2. Have kids add lentils and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring often.

3. Kids can add water, carrots, kohlrabi, celery and potato. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer and cook, covered, about 30 minutes.

4. Kids can stir in the tomato. Cover and simmer 30 minutes longer, until lentils and vegetables are tender.

5. Season with salt and pepper. Have kids top each bowl with a dollop of yogurt prior to serving.

This recipe serves: 6
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 1 hour

Children's Lentil Soup Recipe by FoodFit

Carrot and lentil soup

You'll need to use a variety of lentils here that will soften to a mush when cooked for a short time. French green lentils, or puy, will not work. Orange or red varieties are what's needed and they also help to create the rich autumnal colour. The taste of this soup belies the simplicity of its ingredients. Carrots can be very sweet and lentils are nutty and wholesome, so they make a perfect pair. For a simple twist on this great recipe, try adding a couple of tablespoons of good-quality curry powder to the onions at the early stage of cooking. Serves 4

3 tsp butter
1 red onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, chopped
2 tsp sun-dried tomato purée
500g carrots, grated
250g red lentils, rinsed and drained
1.5l chicken stock
125ml natural yoghurt
a handful of fresh coriander leaves, chopped

Heat the butter in a heavy-based saucepan over high heat. When the butter is sizzling, add the onion and garlic and cook for 4-5 minutes, stirring often. Add the sun-dried tomato purée and stir-fry for one minute. Add the carrots, lentils and stock to the pan and bring to the boil.

Cook at a rapid simmer for 40 minutes, until the lentils are soft. Spoon the soup, in batches, into a food processor or blender and process until smooth.

Return the soup to a clean saucepan and cook over a low heat for a few minutes, until heated through.Serve with dollops of yoghurt and the coriander sprinkled on top.

Carrot and lentil soup [via Treehugger.com]

Lentil-Walnut Spread

French bread slices go great with this flavorful spread. Alternatively, stuff it into a whole-wheat pita along with paper-thin slices of red onion and crisp romaine lettuce.

3/4 cup lentils, rinsed
1/4 cup walnut halves
1 Tbs. flaxseed oil or olive oil
1 small clove garlic, peeled
1/2 tsp. salt
1 cup finely minced arugula, spinach or watercress leaves
3 Tbs. vegetable broth
1/4 tsp. ground cumin
1/8 tsp. ground coriander

Directions:
In small saucepan, combine lentils and 1 1/2 cups water and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer until lentils are tender and water is absorbed, 35 to 40 minutes. Drain well. Transfer to small bowl.

In small food processor or blender, process walnuts and oil to smooth paste. With rubber spatula, scrape mixture into bowl with lentils. Mash to paste with fork.

On cutting board, cut garlic in half; sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon salt. With flat side of knife, mash together. Add to lentil-walnut mixture along with arugula, broth, cumin, coriander and remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt. Mix well. Cover and refrigerate up to 4 days. Makes 2 1/2 cups -- Dairy-free

Vegetarian Times: Lentil-Walnut Spread 01/01/2000 p43

Italian Lentil Soup

Ingredients:
1 Spanish onion, chopped
1 large clove garlic, chopped
3 stalks celery, sliced
2 medium carrots, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup dried lentils, rinsed
4 cups water or Vegetable Stock
1 teaspoon dried rosemary
1 bay leaf
1 15 oz. can chopped tomatoes
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
In a soup pot, saute onion, celery, garlic and carrots in oil until onion is soft, about 5 minutes. Add remaining ingredients (except salt and pepper) and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 30-40 minutes, or until lentils are soft. Remove bay leaf . Season to taste with salt and pepper. Puree half and serve.

Servings: 6 | Cooking Time: 30 minutes - one hour
Author: Polly Pitchford, Full Spectrum Health™"

Pasta with Lentils and Arugula

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 large onions, halved and thinly sliced (4 cups)
coarse salt and ground pepper
12 ounces plum tomatoes, cored and diced (about 2 cups)
¾ cup lentils, picked over and rinsed
12 ounces orecchiette pasta
1 bunch (8 ounces) arugula, stemmed and coarsely chopped
½ cup finely grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving (optional)

Orecchiette are small ear-shaped pasta shells; fusilli or farfalle can be used instead. You can also replace the arugula with two cups whole fresh Italian parsley leaves.

1. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-low heat. Add onions and ½ teaspoon salt; cover, and cook until onions wilt, about 20 minutes. Uncover; raise heat to medium. Cook, stirring often, until onions are dark brown, 20 to 25 minutes more.

2. Add ¼ cup water; stir to loosen any browned bits from pan. Stir in tomatoes; remove from heat.

3. Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan, cover lentils with water by 1 inch. Bring to a simmer. Cover; cook until lentils are tender but still holding their shape, 15 to 20 minutes. Drain; stir into onion mixture. Season with salt and pepper.

4. Cook pasta in a pot of salted water until al dente. Reserve 1 cup pasta water; drain pasta, and return to pot.

5. Add lentil mixture, arugula, cheese, and reserved pasta water; toss. Season with salt and pepper. Serve with more cheese, if desired.

Per serving: 397 calories; 7.8 grams fat; 18.9 grams protein; 64.9 grams carbohydrates; 11.1 grams fiber

Pasta with Lentils and Arugula | Everyday Food
Serves 6 | Prep time: 35 minutes | Total time: 45 minutes