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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.