Tuesday, February 21, 2017

Red Lentil & Colorful Vegetable Soup

2-4 T. butter or sunflower seed oil
1 large onion, finely diced
1 long celery rib, peeled and diced
4 skinny long carrots, cut into rounds (about 1 cup)
1 c. finely diced peeled winter squash or zucchini
3 T. minced cilantro stems
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper
1 t. ground turmeric
1/2 t. ground cumin
1 c. diced fresh or canned tomatoes with their juice
1 c. red lentils, rinsed well
Juice of 1 lime, or to taste
4 scallions, including an inch of the greens, sliced

Melt the butter in a wide soup pot. Add the onions and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, while you dice the celery, carrots, and squash, and mince the cilantro stems. Add them to the onion, sprinkle on 1-1/2 t. salt, the turmeric, and the cumin, and cook for 5 minutes.

Add the tomato, lentils, and 5-1/2 c. water. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer, partially covered, until the lentils have softened, 20-30 minutes. Taste for salt and add several grindings of pepper. Season with lime juice.

Melt the remaining butter in a small skillet, add the scallions, and toss over high heat to wilt them, about 2 minutes. Serve the soup with some of the scallions in each bowl.

Makes a scant 2 quarts.

Adapted from Vegetable Soups from Deborah Madison's Kitchen, p. 85.

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