Red lentil soup (AKA that red, red pottage)

In parshat Toldot, lentil soup plays a big role. In fact, it’s the price of a firstborn’s birthright!

This soup is good, and can be parve (neither dairy nor meat), meat (made with broth), or even dairy (garnished with greek yogurt or tangy sour cream.) It’s reddish because of the lentils and tomato sauce.  I also cook it down a little more and add a little different seasoning (more ginger and turmeric, or even curry powder) and serve it over rice as a dal, or add chickpeas and paprika and slowcook overnight. (In fact, that’s my plan for this week!)

Recipe tweaked from Sephardic red lentil soup and calcutta red lentil soup from this book.

• 2T oil
• 1-2 onions, minced
• 6 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 carrots minced (optional)
• 1.5 t cumin
• 1 t dry ginger (or 2t fresh)
• 1 t turmeric
• 1/2 t crushed red pepper flakes
• 2 C red lentils (rinsed)
• 8 oz tomato sauce
• 10 C broth or water
• 2 bay leaves
• 2t salt
• 4T lemon juice (or vinegar)

Heat oil and saute the onions and garlic until soft, 8 minutes. Add cumin, ginger, turmeric, pepper flakes, lentils and saute for 1-2 minutes. Add tomato sauce, stir, then add broth/water, bay leaves, salt, and a few sprinkles of pepper. Simmer 40 -45 minutes, or until lentils break down. Remove bay leaves. Before serving, drizzle with lemon juice and olive oil. Can also serve over rice or quinoa or stir some into soup, or puree for a smoother soup.

Enjoy!