COMFORT FOOD - LENTIL SOUP

It's the middle of February, and there is little sign of spring in Colorado.  A few warm days to give us hope, followed by another snow storm.  My thoughts turn to warming, comforting food.  Stews and soups nourish the spirit and the body.  

Lentil soup is simple and classic.  It can be made in a simple vegetarian version, or with chicken stock for extra richness.  I include two varieties - a Turkish variety that is simple and creamy, and a French version, which includes a variety of whatever vegetables I happen to have around.

Lentils provide incredible nutritional benefits.  Lentils provide both soluble and insoluble fiber (essential for proper digestive function, and important in stabilizing cholesterol and blood sugar levels), and are loaded with folate, B6, and iron.  Like all legumes, they are a good source of vegetarian protein, when combined in a meal with grains (eg a nice whole wheat loaf with the soup, or 1/2 C cooked brown rice or barley thrown into the soup just before serving).  Lentils are low in calories, and have been linked to reduced breast cancer risk.  They're inexpensive and easy to keep stocked away in the kitchen.  And can be adapted to many different flavors and styles - simple, as in these recipes - or used in curries or salads or loafs.

Of all the beans, lentils are the most user friendly, since they require no soaking and cook up quickly.  Red lentils are the quickest, and what is recommended for the Turkish soup, but the green and brown varieties have their hulls still intact, a richer taste, and provide more fiber.  Each type of lentil has an individual taste - it's worth experimenting to see what you like.

French Lentil Soup
(adapted from 12 months of Monastery Soups by Brother d'Avila-Latourrette)

6 T olive oil
1 onion, chopped fine
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 celery stalk, chopped fine
1 turnip or a piece of rutabaga, diced fine
1 bunch greens - kale, sorrel, spinach or chard
1 carrot, chopped fine
1 large potato, diced
1 bay leaf
2 C lentils (red, green or brown)
6 C water or water/stock mix (more if needed)
1 C tomato sauce (canned italian tomatoes, pureed in their juices, work well.  I usually use tomatoes that I have frozen, either whole or cooked down, from my summer garden)
salt & pepper

Gather and prepare your vegetables.  The amounts here are suggestions.  Feel free to add more garlic, or a variety of greens, or perhaps a diced sweet potato.  If you don't have all the vegetables on hand, or there's something on the list, don't worry - it'll still be lovely.

Clean your lentils - depending on your source, they may have small twigs or stones.  Give them a bit of a wash, rinse and drain.

A large (4 quart) soup pot is important for soup.  Ideally, these should be made of stainless steel.  Cast iron can interfere with the cooking of lentils.  Non-stick pots are, in my opinion, a serious health hazard (a topic for a different blog).

Heat the olive oil.  Gently saute the onion and garlic for a few minutes, stirring all the while.  When they are soft, add the other vegetables (except the greens and potatoes) and saute for another couple of minutes.

Add the lentils and everything else except the salt and pepper.  Bring the mix up to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer, covered, until done.  Keep an eye on the soup, stirring occasionally.  Depending on the type of lentils used, and how thick or thin you want the soup, you may need to add more water or stock. If using small red lentils, this soup may be done in about 1/2 an hour.  Brown or green lentils will take about an hour.

When the soup is done, season with salt and pepper.

Creamy Red Lentil Soup
(adapted from Classical Turkish Cooking by Ayla Algar)

1 C red lentils
1 1/2 C chopped onions
4 T butter
6 C stock (chicken, meat, vegetable stock or just water)
2 T flour
1 egg yolk
1 C milk
salt and pepper

Clean, wash, rinse and drain the lentils.
Melt 2 T butter, and gently saute the onions until soft and golden.
Add stock and bring to boil.
Stir in the lentils.  Bring back to the boil
Lower the heat, cover and simmer for about half an hour, until very soft.
Puree the soup.  I do this with a stick blender that I just stick in the pot, but you could also put it into a blender, or press it through a sieve.

In a separate pot (or, if you have removed the soup to puree it, clean out your first pot), melt the remaining 4T butter.  Add the flour and mix it well with the butter, using a wooden spoon.  Cook for a few minutes until the mixture is light brown.  Then add the lentils slowly but steadily, stirring all the time to prevent lumps.   Simmer very gently over low heat for three minutes, continuing to stir all the time.
Whisk the egg yolk and milk in a small bowl.  Pour a little of the hot soup into the egg/milk mixture and whisk together.   Then pour the egg/milk mixture into the soup, continuing to stir constantly.
Heat the soup but don't boil it.  Season with salt and pepper to taste, and serve.