Red Lentil and Spinach Soup
Feb 24, 2010
This recipe came about when my friend Jen texted me to tell me she had just tasted an incredible soup from Piccino, an intimate restaurant in the Dog Patch neighborhood in San Francisco. It’s Red Lentil and Spinach Soup, and she insisted that I had to make it immediately. Since I always take on a challenge, I got right to work, so here it is.
My version includes the Indian spices of turmeric, mustard seeds, cayenne pepper, cumin and coriander. These create an explosion of flavors against the backdrop of the earthy red lentils. (The brown mustard seeds also give the soup a nice mild aroma.) And last but not least, spinach is added as a garnish at the end, which gives the soup texture and color: just add a small handful of leaves on top!
This soup is filling, but light in texture. It can warm the bones on a chilly day or evening, and the fresh ingredients make this a healthy meal. Also, red lentils have a short cooking time, which makes this soup perfect for last minute preparation. Serve it up and impress your friends, restaurant style.
Ingredients
| 2 |
tablespoons olive oil |
| 1 |
small yellow onion, minced |
| 2 |
tablespoons minced fresh ginger |
| 1 |
tablespoon ground coriander |
| 1 |
tablespoon brown mustard seeds |
| 1 |
teaspoon ground cumin |
| ½ |
teaspoon ground turmeric |
| ¼ |
teaspoon cayenne pepper |
| 1 |
cup red lentils |
| 2 |
cloves garlic, minced |
| 1 |
teaspoon salt |
| 2 |
cups firmly packed spinach leaves, coarsely chopped |
Serves
4
Prep Time
15 minutes
Cook Time
45 minutes
Directions
In a soup pot, heat the olive oil on medium heat and add the onion. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is translucent, about 5 minutes. Stir in the ginger, coriander, mustard seeds, cumin, turmeric, cayenne, lentils, garlic and salt, and cook for one minute more.
Add 5 cups water and bring to the boil. Decrease the heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the lentils have cooked into the puree, about 20 minutes. Use an immersion blender or food processor to puree further, if you prefer. Taste and add more salt if needed.
Just before serving, stir in the spinach and cook for 1 minute to wilt.
Credit
Lucid Food: Cooking for an Eco -Conscious Life
Filed Under
Soup
Spices Used
Cumin, Turmeric, Mustard Seeds, Coriander and Cayenne Pepper
Other Ingredients Used
Lentils
6 Comments
“I love lentils but never seem to do enough with the red ones! This sounds delicious. ”
—Cara, over 3 years ago
“Yum, healthful and delicious looking. I have some organic red lentils that I make an Egyptian soup with somtimes. I'll try this recipe next time. ”
—Stella, over 3 years ago
“Beautiful photos! I love working with red lentils because they cook so fast - throw in some aromatic spices and you've got instant dinner. Thanks for trying out another recipe from my cookbook, Ms. Spice! ”
—Louisa Shafia, over 3 years ago
“I actually impressed my friend restaurant style last night by making this for dinner. Delicious! Next time I might add a bit less cumin! So easy to make, only difference to your recipe is I made 2 cups of lentils to the same amount of liquid and spices to make it very thick. Thanks for posting”
—Chantal, over 3 years ago
“This is one of my favorite soups and it is very, very good. ”
—Courtney, about 1 year ago
“I made it into a red lentil-quinoa-carrot soup by adding 2 large chopped carrots and a cup of quinoa to get a bit more veggies and protein. A few mins before serving I stirred in 2 cups of chopped frozen spinach. Great recipe!”
—maria, about 1 year ago