#red lentil

RECIPE: Red Lentil Soup (from Home Made Basics by Yvette van Boven)

I have various ways of making this hearty soup. I love the smoky, fatty flavor of chorizo, but I eat so little meat that I sometimes also simply replace it with, say, feta or goat cheese. So just use this recipe as a base. I’ll offer further suggestions for toppings below. Pick one from each list for the right balance.

Prepare: 15 minutes Cook: 30 minutes Serves 4

1 tablespoon olive oil, plus extra

7 ounces (200 g) Spanish-style cured chorizo, cut into small pieces

1 large onion, chopped

2 carrots, cut into small cubes

1 teaspoon ground cumin

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 teaspoon smoked paprika, plus extra

2 teaspoon honey or granulated sugar

2 to 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar

8. ounces (250 g) red lentils

1 (14.-ounce/411 g) can whole peeled tomatoes, the tomatoes squeezed

4. cups (1 L) vegetable or chicken stock

sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

8 tablespoons (120 ml) yogurt

Heat the olive oil in a large pan. Fry the chorizo pieces until crispy. Remove the chorizo slices from the pan with a slotted spoon and set aside on a plate.

Sauté the onion, carrot cubes, and cumin in the same pan for about 10 minutes, until the vegetables are tender. Add the garlic and fry for 1 minute. Add the smoked paprika and honey and deglaze the pan with a splash of red wine vinegar.

Stir in the red lentils and pour the squeezed tomatoes and stock into the pan. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and cook the lentil soup, partly covered with a lid, for 30 minutes over low heat. Occasionally check whether the lentils are done, or if necessary, cook them a little longer. Add a splash of water if the soup gets too thick.

Puree the soup with an immersion blender until smoother, but not completely smooth. Some individual lentils should still be visible. Taste the soup and decide whether to add salt and pepper.

Serve the soup in large bowls, each topped with 2 tablespoons yogurt and sprinkled with the fried chorizo. Drizzle the soup with a little olive oil and sprinkle with more paprika.

CRUNCHY

Croutons, baked in butter with anchovies or sea salt

Seeds, popped: like whole buckwheat or pumpkin seeds

Bacon cubes, fried

Nuts, crispy fried (in butter/ olive oil), possibly with spices and/or garlic

Tortilla chips, crumbled

Crispy fried onions

CREAMY

Double cream

Crème fraîche

Quark cheese or yogurt, stirred

Cashew cream

Coconut milk

Cheese, any kind of grated or crumbled

Olive oil or pesto

Avocado, cubed

Egg, hard-boiled or poached

ZESTY

Fresh herbs, finely chopped

Onion, chopped and briefly pickled in vinegar

Watercress or sprouts

Scallions, cut into rings

Celery, or other raw vegetables, cut into very small cubes

Apple or pear, cut into small cubes

Jalapeño, fresh or preserved (from a jar), finely chopped

From acclaimed cookbook author and illustrator Yvette van Boven, a comprehensive kitchen resource for making hundreds of simple dishes from scratch

In her latest cookbook, Yvette van Boven shares step-by-step explanations for the foundational dishes that can transform how you cook and what you eat at home. Accompanied by her signature illustrations and beautiful photography, van Boven offers more than 400 recipes for delightful dishes that tell you how to make everything: simple dressings, vegetables, pastas, gnocchi, tortillas, perfectly poached eggs, and much more. Whether you're new to cooking or an experienced home chef, this cookbook teaches you to make satisfying food without a lot of fuss or complicated ingredients. In her unique and friendly voice, the author guides you through every step of cooking simple, well-made everyday meals.

A staple for everyone who loves to cook at home, Home Made Basics offers fresh, healthy, and original meals you'll want to make all year round.

It has been a hot minute since I’ve made curry of any kind, nevertheless a good cauliflower or red lentil one like here. I’ve been eyeing this recipe for quite a while now, and I have to say it truly exceeded my expectations and made for a delicious, satisfying meal.

I halved this to make two big servings, and while it did take me an hour, it was still simple and straightforward, especially once I had everything already chopped and ready to go for the cooking process.

The only issue I really ran into was when I got to the boiling point in step 4; my veg stock starting evaporating rather quickly, causing my lentils to stick and the whole mixture to quickly start losing its moisture. My solution, an obvious one, was simply to cover it, which I really think should have been done from the beginning. I think in the long run this also helped both the lentils and the cauliflower to get nice and steamed and properly cooked much more quickly. 

Creamy Vegan Red Lentil Curry Recipe

Vegetable Literacy, by Deborah Madison, a cookbook I recently checked out of our local library after seeing it displayed, inspired me to create this recipe.  

I added greens and lentils to round it out, more of a meal-in-one soup.  

The lentils add a boost of protein.  Red lentils soften more than brown lentils, and blend into the soup as it cooks.

1/4 cup unrefined coconut oil or olive oil

1 pound cauliflower, chopped fine

1 bunch scallions (about 5), chopped 

1 pound beet greens with stems, chopped fine

1 cup red lentils

2 tablespoons curry powder

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

Ground black pepper, to taste

13.5 ounce can or fresh, unsweetened, organic coconut milk

4 cups water

1 large lime, juice

Heat coconut oil in a large pot.  Add cauliflower, scallions, and beet greens, stir and cook until soft, about 5 to 10 minutes.  Add lentils, curry, salt, pepper, coconut milk, and water, stir until well blended.  Cover pot and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat and let simmer for 30 to 40 minutes.  

Add lime juice after pot removed from heat, to avoid bitter taste, brightens flavors at the end of cooking.

Yield:  about 10 cups

Beet greens stem and leaf finely chopped.   You can substitute other greens like kale or Swiss chard.