Mmm lentil soup! You can have a simple one with only a few ingredients or expend it and make it as complex as you like. I love any kind of lentil soup.
I make up most of my soups, but here is a favorite that I tend to make over and over again.
1 medium onion, cubed
1 cup of washed lentils
2 medium potatoes, cubed
2 carrots sliced into circles or whatever way you prefer
1 or 2 celery stalks chopped (.5” chunks approx. 2cm)
1-2parsley root (or a parsnip) sliced into circles
A quarter chunk of a celery root cubed (optional)
1 jalapeno de-seeded and chopped (optional- I've used poblano and it was good)
.5 can of crushed tomatoes or 1 cubed skinned and diced paste type tomato (optional)
water or vegetable broth (I make my own broth from veg. scraps) or any broth you prefer
.5tsp cumin powder (optional)
1 tsp turmeric powder (optional)
.5tsp paprika
.4 cup of chopped fresh parsley or substitute it with fresh Lovage—use less of Lovage (1tbsp chopped)
I use a tbsp. of canola oil, but any non-smelly oil or fat should work for sauteing the vegetables.
salt and pepper to taste
I use an old beat up cast iron dutch oven and it makes it taste better IMO (and cooking it on a rocket stove gives it smoky yummy flavor).
Whatever you have will work fine.
Sautee the onion in the oil, for about 4-5 minutes, (I add some salt at this point)
add carrot, parsley root, celery root and jalapeno, saute another 4-5 minutes,
add the spices, lentils, tomatoes-if using, and water (or broth) and half of the parsley, leaving the other half for the end.
cook for half an hour or until the lentils are tender
add potatoes and celery next, cook for another 10-15 minutes until the potatoes are done.
Add the rest of the parsley and turn it off.
Add salt and pepper to taste.
Sometimes I have only onions, carrots and lentils around, and the soup still comes out yummy because the lentils taste great on their own.
I hope this is useful and not too confusing :) At this point I already confused myself.
