Red Lentil Soup

Serves 6

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You’ll need:

1C red lentils, rinsed
2-3 T extra virgin olive oil
1 red onion, diced (I only had a Spanish onion this time)
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
1 T (heaping) ground cumin
1 T honey
1 28oz can of whole tomatoes, diced
6C water or veg stock
2-3 bay leaves
Sea salt to taste
Cilantro, optional, for garnish
Creme fraiche, optional, for garnish (I’m off dairy while I’m nursing so no Creme fraiche in my fridge these days.)

 

To make:
1. In a saucepan, heat olive oil over medium heat and add onions and a pinch of salt.  Cook for about 5 minutes until fragrant and translucent and then add garlic and cook for 3 more minutes.
2. Add lentils, cumin and honey and stir thoroughly.  Add tomatoes with juices and stir to marry the flavors.
3. Finally, add the water (or stock) and the bay leaves.  Cook over medium heat, partially covered for 20mins until lentils are soft.
4. Serve with a dollop of creme fraiche and some chopped cilantro.  Some country bread would go very nice with this dish, too.
5. Enjoy!