triticale - the wheat / rye guy

Tough Week - Easy Recipe

Depending on how long I need tomorrow, I may work more hours this week than any time since I was on straight salary. I only have three sites to drive tomorrow, but one is by Manitowoc and the other two are in the Fox Cities. So woithout further ado, here is a Curried Lentil Soup the wee wifey threw together a couple of weeks ago. Originally, split peas were called for, but the seasoning works well with the substitution. It is simple to make and the recipe she emailed me needs little editing.

16 oz dried lentils
1 Tablespoon olive oil
1 medium white onion -- diced small
2 Tablespoons fresh ginger -- minced
3 cloves garlic -- minced
8 cups water -- or chicken stock
1 carrot to grate in at the end (optional)
Spice blend
2 teaspoons curry powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon ground coriander
1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
2 teaspoons salt
generous pinch cinnamon
* 2 Tablespoons sriracha sauce - optional but we use it in almost everything

Saute the onions in the olive oil at medium heat for about 5 minutes. Add garlic, ginger and spices. Saute 2 more minutes.

Add the water and stir well. Add the lentils. Cover and bring to a boil.

Bring heat back down to medium, let soup simmer for about an hour and a half, until lentils are tender. For split peas an hour should suffice but it wasn't long enough for this batch. If you like a creamier consistancy, run about half thrru a blender or run a wand blender thru it. Grate in the carrot and serve. You can garnish with fresh cilantro if you have it on hand.

Posted by triticale at November 10, 2006 08:39 PM | TrackBack