Lentil Soup - Your Variations

[sojourner]

Spicy Lentil Soup

1 or 2 onions
3 garlic cloves, chopped (or a dsp minced garlic)
1.5 litre vegetable stock
350g – 400g red lentils (the non-soak variety)
2 tsp allspice
1 tsp chilli powder
1tsp cinnamon
Half tsp nutmeg
Lemon juice if required

Rinse lentils in warm water until water is mostly clear. Drain.
Fry finely chopped onion until soft, add chopped garlic, fry for another couple of minutes.
Add spices, stir well for one minute.
Add stock, and stir.
Add lentils and stir.
Bring to boil, stir, simmer for 30 to 40 mins, stirring occasionally to stop lentils sticking to pan, and to make them melty and break up.

 

[Pickman's model]

i like to do a lentil surprise soup, the surprise being it is a tomato soup with no lentils in it

 

[sojourner]

i like to do a lentil surprise soup, the surprise being it is a tomato soup with no lentils in it

Non-food-related, but I once introduced a band at a festie as 'anarcho lounge punk with a disco surprise'. The first bit was their description, the second was mine. The surprise being...similar to yours

 

[nogojones]

Made the Methi Dal last night and it was a ROARING success. It is now our favourite lentil soup - topping even the Egyptian lentil! What an unusual flavour - and it gave us a distinct 'other' feeling, extra on top of the 'nourished' thing. Almost like being medicated, or soothed by big fluffy clouds. Hard to describe. Never felt anything like it! Absolutely spot fucking on when poured over the top of a steaming bowl of basmati rice, this. Here's the recipe:

Methi Dal – (Red Lentil Soup with Fenugreek)

1 tablespoon oil
½ teaspoon cumin seeds
1 thai chili or jalapeno, slit
1 small onion, diced
1 tablespoon minced ginger
1 tablespoon minced garlic
350g red lentils (rinsed til water runs clear)
1.5 litres veg stock
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
1 cup fresh fenugreek leaves (substitute with 2 tablespoons dried fenugreek or 1 cup of fresh spinach or both)
1 tablespoon, or to taste, lemon juice (I used juice of a whole lemon)

1. Heat the oil in a medium saucepan. Add cumin and chili into the oil. When cumin sizzles, add onion and sauté on medium heat till the onion is soft. Add the ginger and garlic and cook 2 more minutes.
2. Add lentils and turmeric to the saucepan and stir. Add stock, and bring to the boil. Reduce heat to low, cover the saucepan, and simmer for 15 minutes.
3. While the dal is cooking, wash the fenugreek, pluck the leaves and tender stems, and discard the rest. Measure out 1 cup of plucked fenugreek.
4. Add fenugreek (leaves if using, or dried if not), and continue to simmer for 20 to 30 minutes.
5. Stir in lemon juice, and salt (if using).

Today I'll be pretty much doing this but using toor dahl instead of red lentils. It will take a wee bit longer as they're bigger. I'll top it off at the end with some onion, garlic, chilli flakes, curry leaves, mustard and lovage seeds all fried up in some sesame oil

 

[sojourner]

Today I'll be pretty much doing this but using toor dahl instead of red lentils. It will take a wee bit longer as they're bigger. I'll top it off at the end with some onion, garlic, chilli flakes, curry leaves, mustard and lovage seeds all fried up in some sesame oil

Just looked them up - are they like yellow split peas then?

Have to say, that Methi dal is one of the greatest things I've ever put in my mouth. Fanfuckingtastic.

 

[Opera Buffa]

lovage.

Keep the faith.

 

[Opera Buffa]

The official German name is Liebstöckel, literally 'love stick'.


Love stick.

 

[nogojones]

Just looked them up - are they like yellow split peas then?

Have to say, that Methi dal is one of the greatest things I've ever put in my mouth. Fanfuckingtastic.

Not entirely sure. They don't seem as big as a split pea, but bigger than a red lentil. Fuck knows where they come from. You can get an "oily" version as well that I've used in the past. They're dead nice as well

 

[sojourner]

Think you've fucked up the quote there Opera Got my name but it's not my word, it's nogo's

 

[sojourner]

Not entirely sure. They don't seem as big as a split pea, but bigger than a red lentil. Fuck knows where they come from. You can get an "oily" version as well that I've used in the past. They're dead nice as well

Hmm. We're pretty limited in what we can buy round our way, which is a shame. Good job I love the red lentils so much innit?!

 

[nogojones]

Hmm. We're pretty limited in what we can buy round our way, which is a shame. Good job I love the red lentils so much innit?!

I think I got mine from Asda when they were doing 2 big bags of random pulses for 3 or 4 quid.

 

[sojourner]

I think I got mine from Asda when they were doing 2 big bags of random pulses for 3 or 4 quid.

Ooo we've got an Asda - I'll nip in and check!

 

[Opera Buffa]

Think you've fucked up the quote there Opera Got my name but it's not my word, it's nogo's

Love stick

 

[Roadkill]

This is more stew than soup, but an old standby recipe of mine for when I can't be bothered doing anything complicated is:

A few rashers chopped smoked bacon
1/2 onion
clove of garlic or two
1 leek
chicken stock
red lentils

Just fry the bacon, add the sausage and onion and soften, add the leek, and then tip in the chicken stock and a pinch or two of salt. Simmer until the leeks are pretty much falling apart, and then add the lentils. I usually stick some frozen peas in at this point, but they're not essential. Turn the heat right down and simmer until the lentils are tender. Eat with huge hunks of crusty bread and butter.

 

[davesgcr]

We do Lentil and Tomato soup - fabulous on the second day when it thickens up. Throw a slice or two of slow fried Chorizo in as well. Yum !