Carrot and Red Lentil Soup with Asian Spices

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...I had a substantial quantity of carrots that had to be used, and a recipe that uses lots of them that I had long wanted to try. Guess what I did today? The recipe comes from the old Union Square Cafe Cookbook and it's for a silken carrot soup that has Indian overtones. It has a mild curry flavor and a pleasant warmth that comes from the addition of a small amount of cayenne pepper. The soup may be too spicy for children, but adults will love it. Its real glory, however, is a molten and riveting color that will brighten the gloomiest of days. While there is some chopping involved, this soup is easy to make and table ready in about an hour. I think you will like it, especially if your palate is seeking new flavors. Even the Silver Fox, who looks askance at any preparation that involves copious amounts of vegetables, enjoyed it. I hope you will give this a try. Here's the recipe.

Carrot and Red Lentil Soup with Asian Spices...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite adapted from The Union Square Cafe Cookbook

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1-1/2 tablespoons grated fresh ginger
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
1/4 teaspoon allspice
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon curry powder
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
3/4 cup sliced onions
3/4 cup peeled and sliced parsnips
4 cups peeled and sliced carrots
1/2 cup sliced celery
1-1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup red lentils
1/4 cup basmati rice
7 cups vegetable stock or water
3/4 cup coconut milk
2 tablespoons lime juice

Directions:
1) Heat olive oil in a 3-quart pot or Dutch oven over low heat. Stir in ginger and spices and cook for 1 minute. Add onions, parsnips, carrot, and celery. Season with salt and pepper. Raise heat to medium, cover, and cook for 10 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally until vegetables are softened, but not browned.
2) Stir in lentils and basmati rice, mixing until well combined with vegetables. Add stock or water and bring to a boil. Lower heat, cover, and simmer for 20 to 30 minutes, until vegetables and rice are tender. In batches, puree the soup in a blender until smooth.
3) Return soup to saucepan, bring back to a boil, and stir in coconut milk and lime juice. Cook for 1 more minute and serve. Yield: 6 servings.








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Turkish Red Lentil Soup - Kirmizi Mercimek Corbasi

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...It was a perfect day for soup. The sun rose somewhere this morning, but it certainly was here, and it didn't take much for the Oregon damp and chill to reach these old bones. Fortunately, I still had turkey stock in the refrigerator and knew that somewhere in the recesses of the pantry I had a cup of red lentils that would whisk me to the dusty paths of Ephesus and memories of the extraordinary people with whom I first had the soup I wanted to prepare. At several points during our visit to Turkey, we crossed paths with a small group of pilgrims who were retracing the journey of St. Paul through the Mediterranean. Ephesus held special meaning for these devout and true believers and it was here that we first met and broke bread with them. The mainstay of their diet was a soup very similar to the one I'm featuring today. Red lentil soup is extremely popular in Turkey and, with slight variations, it can be found throughout the country. Their version of the soup - Ezo Gelin - comes with a story. The soup is attributed to Ezo, a woman, who despite her great beauty, was unlucky in love. An arranged first marriage to a man who loved another, ended in divorce. Her second marriage took her to Syria where she had to deal with a difficult mother-in-law. Ezo created her soup to please the woman, and that soup, and Ezo's story, have become legend. The soup is now symbolically fed to brides to sustain them for the uncertain future that lies ahead. An authentic recipe for Ezo Gelin Corbasi can be found here. I didn't have all the ingredients I needed to make her soup, so I decided to make this version which is also wonderful and extremely easy to prepare. The soup is usually pureed, but I bypassed that step because I wanted some texture in the version I planned to serve for dinner. I know that those of you who try this soup will love it. It is warm and hearty and has wonderful color. It's easy to make and even more importantly, it's delicious. Do try this. Here's the recipe.

Turkish Red Lentil Soup...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite inspired by MediterrAsian.com and countless Turkish women

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 red onion, diced
2 carrots, diced
2 cloves garlic, chopped
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons ground coriander
1 teaspoon ground ginger
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 cup red lentils
1 28-oz. can crushed tomatoes
6 cups vegetable or poultry stock
1-1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
Greek-style yogurt for serving

Directions:
1) Heat oil in a large saucepan over a medium heat. Add onion and carrots and cook until onions are translucent, about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
2) Add garlic, cumin, coriander and ginger and cook, stirring, for a minute. Add tomato paste, lentils, tomatoes, stock, salt and pepper and bring to a boil. Cover pot, reduce the heat to medium, and simmer for 30 minutes.
3) Transfer mixture to a blender in batches and process until smooth. If soup is too thick, thin with water or additional stock. Serve in individual bowls topped with a dollop of yogurt. Yield: 6 large servings.








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Rice and Red Lentil Pilaf - Kichiri

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...This is the dish you get when an Irish lass decides to make a wonderful Indian comfort food called kichiri. This is an easy, satisfying and cheap eat. I, however, managed to complicate it with a decision to make ghee, an oil that some call the clarified butter of India. Actually clarified butter and ghee are not the same thing. While there are similarities, ghee is cooked until all moisture is removed and the milk solids in the butter are caramelized. This gives it a rich nutty taste and assures that the "butter" has a long shelf life and a higher smoking point than its counterpart. I have a local source for ghee, but I wanted to attempt making it on my own. My curiosity is now satisfied and ghee is now on my been there, done that list. Vegetable oil or a mixture of one part oil to one part butter can also be used to make this pilaf. As you glance through the recipe you'll see that it is one that you can easily make your own. If you are unable to find red lentils substitute yellow. I will also add some heat the next time I make this pilaf. It is a wonderful accompaniment to curry or eggs. Here's the recipe.

Rice and Red Lentil Pilaf - Kichiri...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons ghee, vegetable oil or a mix of butter and oil
6 large garlic cloves, chopped
1 (1-inch) piece ginger, peeled and chopped
1 cup chopped yellow onion
1 teaspoon kosher salt + salt to taste
3/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
1/4 teaspoon ground coriander
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 cup long grain white rice
1/2 cup red lentils (masoor dahl)
3 cups vegetable stock
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Directions:
1) Heat ghee or oil in a large frying pan that has a lid; set over medium-high heat
and warm until oil shimmers. Add garlic and ginger and toss until it is fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in onions and cook until tender, about 5 minutes.
2) Meanwhile, combine salt, cumin, turmeric, coriander and pepper flakes in a small bowl.
3) Stir spice mixture into onions and cook for 1 minute, tossing to make sure everything is combined. Stir in rice and lentils and cook 5 minutes longer. Add vegetable stock and bring to a rolling boil. Stir well, reduce heat, cover pan and cook for 20 minutes. Do not remove lid. Remove pan from heat. Let sit, covered, for 10 minutes. Uncover pan and gently fluff rice with a fork. Stir in cilantro and serve hot or warm. Yield: 4 servings.

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Balti Chicken - One Perfect Bite
Kedgeree - One Perfect Bite
Braised Pork Chops with Homemade Curry and Chutney Sauce - One Perfect Bite

Vegan Red Lentil Soup

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...I try to keep a supply of red lentils in the pantry. They're perfect for making a really quick soup that's hearty and filling but not heavy. Red lentils cook in about 30 minutes and there is a sweetness about them that can't be found in the green or black varieties. The real trick to this particular soup is the quality and flavor of the vegetable stock use to make it. A good commercial variety is fine, but taste carefully for salt. Lentils can be very bland and the minimal spicing used in this recipe demands a well-salted broth. This soup is very nearly a puree. If you prefer more texture, measure an additional cup of lentils and cook them separately in rapidly boiling water until they are just tender. To insure they don't over cook plunge them into cold water. Add them to the soup and heat through just before serving. While the lentils are a saffron red in their raw state they turn a most unattractive shade of mustard as they cook down. I use sweet paprika to make my soup more visually appealing. Not necessary, but nice. I suspect pimenton could also be used but that would produce a deeper and more smokey flavor. This soup is best eaten the day it is made. Like pea soup, it will thicken and will need to be thinned with additional stock or water if it sits. This recipe can be halved for small families or doubled if you are feeding a crowd. Here's the recipe.

Vegan Red Lentil Soup...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 cup finely chopped onion
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1/4 teaspoon allspice
1 tablespoon sweet paprika
3 cloves crushed garlic
1 pound red lentils
8 cups vegetable stock
1 teaspoon cider vinegar
Optional garnish: 1/2 cup vegan yogurt

Directions:
1) Heat oil in a heavy bottomed soup pot. When it shimmers, add onions and cook over medium heat until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in cumin, coriander, allspice, paprika and garlic and cook for 1 minute more.
2) Add lentil to pot and stir well to coat with spices. Add vegetable stock and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, partially covered, for 30 minutes. Stir in vinegar. Adjust seasoning to taste with salt and pepper. Ladle into soup bowl. Garnish with yogurt if using. Yield: 6-8 servings.

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Vegan and Red Lentil Flan
Vegan Cream of Broccoli Soup
Celery Soup