I've just moved into a new apartment. There are boxes stacked up everywhere, yet I'm trying to make things feel like home. It's getting there...just more slowly than I'd like. One thing that is pretty much guaranteed to make a new place feel like home is a home-cooked meal. And this soup fits the bill nicely.
I made this soup last month while I was packing up the old place and trying to use up bits from my cupboards. The results were pretty spectacular and it makes for a simple and delicious meal that you can whip up quickly.
The key with this soup is to keep all the vegetables similar in size to the lentils. That means keep your dice small and uniform. Your vegetables and lentils will cook quickly, plus there's the added aesthetic bonus too!
Quick Potato and Lentil Soup
Add in more stock for a more soupy bowl, less for something more stew-like.
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 carrot, diced
1 large stalk of celery, diced
1 large potato, small dice
1 cup green or brown dry lentils, well rinsed
2 bay leaves
1 teaspoon herbs du provence
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/4 teaspoon chili flakes
1 tablespoon ketchup (or tomato paste - but I think ketchup adds a bit more punch)
4-6 cups chicken or vegetable stock
pinch of salt and a good hammering of black pepper
juice of 1 lemon
crumbled feta, optional
In a large saucepan, heat olive oil over medium heat and add in the onion, garlic, carrot and celery. Stir everything around and let it get fragrant for a few minutes. Add in the potato, lentils, bay leaves, herbs due provence, cumin and chili flakes along with the chicken or vegetable stock. Cover and let simmer over medium heat until it boils, then turn down to a low heat. Continue to simmer until vegetables and lentils are tender. Add in lemon juice along with salt and pepper, if needed. Serve in deep bowls alongside some crusty bread or biscuits. Top with feta, if desired.
