Curried Red Lentil Soup

A few weeks back, Tessa from Handle the Heat posted a soup recipe that I was super excited try out.  You know that I love my soup, and have a bowl almost every day, even during the summer!  I had some difficulty locating the red lentils, but after I found them at a Middle Eastern grocery store, I whipped this up!

It's totally warm and comforting, perfect for cold weather.  While it's simmering on the stove, it smells absolutely heavenly throughout the house.  :)

Side note: I'm not sure how the red lentils completely lost their color, but the curry powder made the whole dish turn yellow!

I only made a few changes to the recipe below, but only out of necessity.  First of all, instead of a jalapeño, I used a few spicy peppers from the backyard.  Apparently I should have checked to see how spicy they were, because ironically my guy couldn't handle the heat!  Oops, more for me.  :)

Also, I did not use the mango chutney or yogurt to garnish, but the results were fantastic!

Curried Red Lentil Soup
From Eating Well via Handle the Heat


Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon canola oil
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons minced fresh ginger
• 1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and minced
• 1 1/2 tablespoons curry powder
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 1/2 cups red lentils, rinsed and picked over
• 8 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro, or parsley
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons mango chutney (optional - I did not use)
• Salt & freshly ground pepper, to taste
• 1/3 cup plain nonfat yogurt

Directions

1. Heat the oil in a heavy stockpot or Dutch oven over medium heat.

2. Add the onion and sauté until softened, 3 to 5 minutes.

3. Add the garlic, ginger, jalapeno, curry powder, cinnamon, cumin and bay leaves and cook, stirring, for about 5 minutes longer.

4. Stir in the lentils and broth and bring to a boil.

Red lentils before adding.  See!  They're red!

5. Reduce the heat to low and simmer, partially covered, until the lentils are tender, about 40 minutes.

6. Discard the bay leaves.

7. Stir in the cilantro (or parsley), lemon juice and chutney (if using).

8. Season with salt and pepper. Ladle the soup into bowls and garnish with the yogurt (if using).

This is the best picture I could get of my soup with the waning daylight, but I am telling you that it is so much more warm and comforting than it looks!  The spices are aromatic and the lentils are hearty, just what a soup needs!

I will definitely be adding this to my favorite recipes list, because it was just so easy to make with delicious results.

Which recipes are your favorites for a cold night?