Tomato Lentil Soup Recipe

This tomato and lentil soup was an experiment that turned out to be a great success. This soup made my mouth feel alive. It is sweet and tangy with a wonderful hearty texture.

I love cooking with dried lentils, because they are cheap like dried beans and have similar nutrition as dried beans, but take a fraction of the amount of time to cook. My husband had expressed doubts about a tomato base for a lentil soup, afraid that the two flavors would not go well together, but I'm really glad I tried this.

This recipe is vegetarian and vegan if you use vegetable stock. Serve it with a hearty toasted bread and it will be a complete protein and a very satisfying meal. Enjoy!

Tomato Lentil Soup Recipe

serves at least four

Ingredients:

• olive oil
• 1 large sweet onion
• 6 medium-sized cloves of garlic
• 3 large carrots
• 2 medium-sized red potatoes
• one small cayenne pepper
• one 15-ounce can of fire-roasted tomatoes, diced
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 quart plus three cups vegetable stock (or chicken stock)
• 1/2 cup red wine
• 2 cups dried lentils du Puy (French green lentils)
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed dried Mediterranean oregano
• 2 pinches ground nutmeg
• 1 yellow bell pepper
• salt and pepper to taste

• serve with a hearty toasted bread

Preparation Instructions:

1. In a large soup pot, coat the bottom in olive oil and start it warming over medium heat.

2. Skin the onion and the garlic. Dice the onion and add it to the pot. Crush the garlic with the flat of the knife, slice thinly, and add it to the pot. Stir frequently.

3. Meanwhile, wash the carrots, and red potatoes. Cut the carrots into 1/4 inch thick coins and the potatoes into small bite-sized pieces.

4. When the onion in the pot is starting to turn translucent, add the carrots and potatoes. Stir frequently.

5. Dice the cayenne pepper finely. Once the potatoes have started to brown a tad, add the diced cayenne pepper, fire-roasted tomatoes, the bay leaves, the vegetable stock, and the red wine. Stir well.

6. Wash and strain the dried lentils. Add them, the oregano, and the nutmeg to the pot. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer (a little below medium). Cover. Simmer for about an hour, stirring occasionally.

7. About ten minutes before serving time, wash the yellow bell pepper, core it, and dice it up. Add it and let cook for about five minutes. Serve with a hearty toasted bread. Enjoy!