So, last week I showed you how to sprout lentils, and also mentioned how they make for a delicious sprouted lentil soup. I made such a soup last week; it was a perfect dish for a cold winter night, and my household enjoyed it immensely.
The original recipe specifies using lentils du puy, a lovely little french lentil. To be honest, I’ve never tried sprouting these lentils, but I think it would be worth a shot. I used brown lentils, which are more common.
My favorite moment when making this soup is toward the beginning of the cooking process. Onions, leeks, and garlic cook with thyme and cumin, and it smells amazing. They don’t call them aromatics for nothing! I feel like I could eat just that sometimes.
The soup recipe came from an old copy of Food & Wine, in an article about Bobbi Brown, the founder of the cosmetics company bearing her name. She originally got the recipe from the Barefoot Contessa Cookbook.
I halved the recipe; a full recipe will make 8 pints of soup! You can, of course, double what I indicate below, as it would be an excellent way to feed an army of people. This soup tastes even better the day after. It also freezes beautifully. Enjoy with a red wine of your choice (perhaps the same kind you put in the soup).
adapted from the Barefoot Contessa Cookbook
1/2 pound sprouted lentils
a generous glug of olive oil, plus more for serving
1 large onion
2 medium garlic cloves
3 large leeks, whited and tender green parts only, chopped
celtic sea salt and freshly ground pepper
1/2 tablespoon chopped thyme
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
4 celery ribs, cut into 1/4 inch dice
3 medium carrots, cut into 1/4 inch dice
1 1/2 quarts chicken stock or water
1 pint crushed tomatoes
2 tablespoons tomato paste
2 tablespoons dry red wine
freshly grated parmesan cheese for serving
Heat the olive oil in a large pot. Add the onions, garlic, leeks, 1/2 tablespoon of salt, 1 teaspoon of pepper, the thyme and cumin, and cook over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are very tender, 15-20 minutes.
Add the celery and carrots and cook until they begin to soften, about 10 minutes. Ad the stock/water, crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, and sprouted lentils to the pot. Increase the heat to high, cover and bring to a boil. Uncover, reduce the heat to moderate and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the lentils are tender, about an hour.
Stir in the red wine and season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve hot with a drizzle of olive oil and a sprinkling of parmesan.
Makes 8 cups.
Just what I was looking for! Great recipe, making a pot right now. Perfect for this snowy winter day.