1 pound red lentils (dry)
3 medium carrots, peeled & cubed
2 small yellow potatoes, peeled & cubed
1 medium parsnip, peeled & cubed
1 vidalia onion, cubed
2 stalks celery, chopped (make sure they’re nice and green)
32 oz. organic chicken broth or vegetable broth
32 oz. (or more!) fresh water
4 tablespoons (or a little more!) olive oil
Cumin, turmeric, kosher salt, red pepper flakes
Fresh parsley, coarsely chopped
Lemon wedges
This soup is relatively simple to make, but it doesn’t happen without some effort. It will be pureed/blended at the end of cooking, so make sure the veggies are cut to manageable sizes. Have everything ‘staged’ to make life easier for you once you’re ready to make it. And, beware, you must keep an eye on things throughout, as the lentils will swell and that will require you to add water. The lentils are the ‘star’ of the dish but the vegetables play a crucial role in flavor and final veloute consistency, especially since we are not using cream.
Over low to medium heat, pour the olive oil, enough to cover the bottom, in a dutch oven or big soup pot. Add the onions, sweat them out but don’t overdo it. Add the spices (cumin, turmeric, kosher salt, red pepper flakes); use your discretion, but don’t be shy. Toss in the carrots, potatoes, parsnip, celery. Push those around for about five minutes, then add the lentils (at this point you might need to add a little water to prevent the ingredients from sticking to the pan). Turn the heat up to high and add the broth. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a nice simmer. The lentils will start to expand so keep that water handy; add it so the soup is easy to stir but don’t thin it out too much. You will add at least 32 oz. of water, and you might even need more. It takes about 22-25 minutes for everything to soften up enough to make the pureeing easier.
Remove from heat and mash the mixture with a potato masher or kitchen mallet to make the next step easier… Blend the mixture using an immersion mixer (or Vitamix or other such food processor) into a nice veloute. The mixture might still be too thick, so once again, add enough water to keep things moving along nicely. Portion it out, garnish with plenty of parsley and, as a nice added touch, squeeze a lemon wedge into each serving. ENjoy!!
