Luscious lentil soup

Seasonings give this soup a subtle yet complex flavour!

If I were told I could only make (and eat) one soup for the rest of my life, I’m pretty sure I’d choose this one. It’s an intoxicating blend of the exotic and the comforting and I defy anyone to have just one bowlful. Don’t be intimidated by the ingredient list – just get yourself to a nearby health food store and pick up small amounts of the seasonings. Chop and measure everything before you begin; the soup comes together in a jiffy that way. Just looking at this photo makes me smile in anticipation. I hope you love this lentil soup as much as I do.

Ingredients

• 2 cups (500 mL) red lentils
• 2 cups (500 mL) peeled, chopped sweet potato
• 1 1/2 cups (375 mL) peeled, chopped white potato
• 3 tablespoons (45 mL) vegetable oil
• 2 tablespoons (30 mL) brown or black mustard seeds
• 1 cup (250 mL) chopped onion
• 1 tablespoon (15 mL) minced garlic
• 1 tablespoon (15 mL) minced gingerroot
• 1 teaspoon (5 mL) turmeric powder
• 1 teaspoon (5 mL) garam masala
• 1 1/4 teaspoons (6.25 mL) cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon (2.5 mL) black pepper
• 1 1/2 teaspoons (7.5 mL) sea salt
• 1/2 lemon, peeled, seeded and chopped
• 1 medium tomato, diced
• 1 1/2 cups (375 mL) fresh baby spinach leaves, coarsely chopped

Garnish: additional diced tomato and lemon wedges.

Method

• Pick over the lentils to remove any stones and rinse thoroughly in a sieve.
• In a large pot, add cleaned lentils and 6 cups of water. Bring to a boil then simmer until the colour of the lentils changes from orange-red to yellow.
• In another pot, boil the sweet and white potatoes with just enough water to cover the top of the potatoes.
• When the potatoes are soft, mash with the cooking water until they are beginning to look smooth (I like to have some tiny chunks of potato in the soup for a nice contrast of texture).
• To fry the spice mixture, heat the oil on high in a medium-sized frying pan or pot that has a tight-fitting lid and add the mustard seeds.
• As soon as the seeds begin to pop and become fragrant, turn the heat to low and cover until all the seeds are popped. (Note that the seeds turn gray after popping but will become black again if burnt. If you accidentally burn them, chuck ‘em out and start this step over again. Trust me.)
• Once the seeds have finished popping, add the onions and increase the heat to medium-low.
• When the onions are beginning to soften (after about 2 minutes), add the garlic, ginger and powdered spices. Stir frequently to prevent them from sticking to the pot.
• When the onions are translucent and the spices are deliciously fragrant, lower the heat and stir in the tomato, lemon and spinach to simmer lightly for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• Stir the spice mixture and potato mixture into the cooked lentils; stirring to blend well. Taste and adjust salt; you can also add water if the soup is thicker than you prefer.

Makes 6 to 8 servings, unless you’re me. I could eat the whole big potful.