Skip to main content

Artemis' Lentil Soup

This soup is from my good friend Artemis who I met in Jordan. It's a seriously delicious lentil soup, much more than the sum of its parts. I've copied and pasted the recipe from an email, hence the narrative style.

Ingredients:
Red Lentils
5-6 cloves garlic, WHOLE
Onion
4-5 juicy tomatoes
Veggies
Oregano
Broth
Lemons

Start with a relatively deep layer of olive oil in the bottom of the pan on a low flame, add several(As many as 5 or 6) whole cloves garlic(they're going to get super sweet anyway, so don't skimp)(don't chop them, but if you really want, you can squish them a tad. DON'T BURN THEM!).

Cook garlic until it's fairly well cooked, then add onions. Cook onions for a while.

Now here's the trick to the whole thing- get several tomatoes(3-5), the rounder hothouse shape, not roma, and cut the stems out, and then in half. No more cutting, just in half. Then put them _cut side down_ in the pan, and let them cook for a while, until they get really cooked and delapidated- you can move them around, but leave them facedown the whole time. They should get quite juicy.(You can chop them up in the pan with a spatula or something once they're done, if you don't like big tomato chunks)

While they're cooking, add some oregano. I didn't measure, but I'd say 1/2-1 tablespoon. Don't make it overpowering- it should be relatively subtle.

When the tomatoes are really juicy, you can add more veggies given your preference(If you are adding veggies, I'd add the oregano then, since they'll be coated more nicely)- I put in cauliflower, but I'm sure you could add zucchini, or anything else you think would go well with the food.

At this point, add the water(I added some buillon, I think, too) and when it boils, add the lentils, then cook as per lentil soup.

Ooh, and I forgot one ingredient last time- this would NOT be an artemis recipe without lemon juice. At or near the end, squeeze in 1/2-1 lemon's worth of juice.(The best way to squeeze a lemon is to squeeze it into a cup first,then pour it through a fork into the food.)

Oh, and this recipe is schwarztbein friendly- so add some salt.

Comments

Lillian said…
Mmmm I was already thinking of making lentils tonight. Now I don't have to dig through my inbox to find this recipe--yay!
Lillian said…
Mmm I just made this, using cauliflower and collards as my veggies. It was sooo tasty!
Ruskin said…
I just wanted to say that we have been practically living on this soup since you posted it!
I cook the lentils separately for softness. It also works well with brown red and puy lentils and is also wonderful with broccoli (honestly!)

Popular posts from this blog

Thick-cut Pork Chops

These intimidating chops were actually pretty easy to cook. They're called an "Iowa Chop", and they're just a thick-cut, bone-in, center-cut chop. I've discovered that the secret to juicy pork chops is to start with a cold pan and obsessively checking the temperature . I find they're best just under 160 degrees. Pork Chops 2 1-lb. Iowa Chops 2-3 Tbsp. salt 2 Tbsp. white pepper 2 Tbsp. dried sage 2 Tbsp. Smoked (or regular) paprika 3 Tbsp. oil Sauce (optional): 1/2 c. chicken broth 1/2 c. white wine (I used Pinot Grigio) 2 Tbsp. corn starch 1 tsp. white pepper 2 tsp. Dijon mustard 1/4 c. cold water Preheat the oven to 350. Pat the chops dry with some paper towel. Sprinkle them liberally with the salt and spices and allow them to warm up to room temperature while you start the quinoa and chop the cauliflower. Place the oil in your pan, but do not pre-heat the pan. Add the chops to the pan and place them on the stove. Heat the pan up to medium, turning the chop

Miele Steam Oven Pulled Pork

I've been debating whether I should post some of these more niche recipes--now that we have a steam oven and a high powered stove, I am making recipes that not everyone can reproduce with other equipment. I've decided to post some of them 1) for my own records, and 2) because there are very few recipes available online for these devices (especially the steam oven). Perhaps these recipes will be of use to others. I don't have a photo for this one because I decided to post the recipe after the fact. 3-5 lb pork shoulder roast (~3 lb without bone, ~5 lb with) 1 large white onion, 1/4" slices 1 Tbsp. butter 1 chicken boullion cube 1 c. water 2 tsp. dried thyme 1 tsp. dried sage 1 tsp. whole coriander 1 Tbsp. coarse ground salt 1 Tbsp. brown sugar 1 tsp. dry mustard 1 tsp. white pepper 1/2 tsp. cinnamon 1/4 tsp. cayenne 1/4 tsp. allspice 1/4 tsp. celery seed Saute the onions in the butter in a saute pan over medium for 10 min until the onions are somewha

Baking Powder Dumplings

This is Mom's standard dumpling recipe, excellent with chicken soup. Drop them in, put the lid on, and enjoy. Ingredients: 2 cups flour 4 teaspoons baking powder 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 scant cup milk or water Preparation: Mix the dry ingredients, stir in the milk or water gradually to make a soft dough. Drop by spoonful into boiling salted water or simmering stew. Cover tightly, cook 10-15 minutes before lifting cover. Test for doneness, drain. Serve at once. Well, once they cool off so you don't burn your tongue. PS - This is post 199! Hope someone does something special for #200!