Red Lentil and Colorful Vegetable Soup
Ingredients
- 2-4 tablespoons butter or sunflower seed oil
- 1 large onion, finely diced
- 1 long celery rib, finely diced
- 4 carrots, finely diced or cut into rounds
- 1 cup zucchini or winter squash (peeled), finely diced
- 3 tablespoons minced cilantro stems
- 1½ teaspoons Kosher or sea salt
- 4-5 grinds black pepper
- 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 cup diced fresh or canned tomatoes with their juice
- 1 cup red lentils, rinsed well
- juice of 1 lime, or to taste
Instructions
- Melt the butter or oil in a wide soup pot. Add onion, cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally. When onion has softened, add the celery, carrots, squash, cilantro stems, salt and spices. Cook 5 minutes.
- Add tomato, lentils and 5½ cups water. Bring to a boil, then lower heat and simmer, partially covered, until lentils have softened, 20 to 30 minutes. Taste for salt and add pepper. Season with lime juice.
- Can serve with cooked rice or toasted or fried pita bread or with a dollop of yogurt.
Notes
Adapted from Deborah Madison’s Vegetable Soups.