Photo: Roberto Caruso
Preparation: 20 minutes
Cooking: 45 minutes
Makes 8-10 servings
Ingredients
- 1 bag (400 g) of red or green lentils
- 1 large onion
- 2 red or green peppers
- 4 carrots
- 2 stalks of celery
- 3 jalapeno peppers
- 4 large garlic cloves
- 1 C. olive oil
- 2 liters (8 cups) chicken or vegetable stock
- 1 C. chili powder
- 2 tbsp. caraway seeds
- 1 C. dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon of salt
- 1 C. black pepper
Preparation
- Rinse the lentils in a sieve. Finely chop the onion. Cut the peppers in half, seed and cut into 0.5 cm (1/4 inch) pieces. Peel the carrots and cut them into 0.5 cm (1/4 inch) pieces. Cut celery stalks into 1/4 inch (0.5 cm) pieces. Jalapeno pepper core and seeds. Finely chop the jalapenos and garlic cloves.
- Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onion, bell pepper, carrot, celery, jalapenos and garlic. Sauté until vegetables begin to soften, about 8 minutes. Stir in the lentils, broth, chili powder, cumin, oregano, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil, stirring frequently. Reduce heat to medium-low and cover. Simmer until lentils and vegetables are tender, 30 to 40 minutes. Adjust the seasoning if necessary.
- For a thicker texture, scoop out a quarter of the soup and transfer to a food processor fitted with a metal blade. Puree. If the mixture is too thick, you may need to add a little water. Add this puree to the soup. Serve hot with a crusty baguette.
This soup will keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days and in the freezer for 3 months.
Read also: Indian style vegetable stew