Chef Joeys Red Lentil Soup Recipes

RED LENTIL SOUP WITH LEMON-MINT YOGURT

Steps:

• Melt butter in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onion, salt, and tomato paste. Cook, stirring often, until the onion softens and the tomato paste turns a deep brick red or brown color, 5 to 7 minutes.
• Add garlic, cumin, and cayenne; cook, stirring, for 2 more minutes. Stir in the broth and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to medium-low and add the lentils, celery, and carrots.
• Stir and bring to a simmer. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the lentils and vegetables are very tender, 30 to 40 minutes.
• Meanwhile, grind the mint and salt into a paste using a mortar and pestle. Add lemon zest, lemon juice, and yogurt, and stir together until combined. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
• Taste the soup and adjust seasoning as needed. Serve as-is or use an immersion blender to puree about half of the soup to achieve a creamier texture. Serve hot with spoonfuls of the lemon-mint yogurt.

CHEF JOEY'S RED LENTIL SOUP

Steps:

• Heat the olive oil in a large soup pot. I used my large cast iron dutch oven.
• Add the chopped onion and garlic and saute until soft.
• Stir in the lentils and cumin and cook for one minute or until you can smell the cumin and the lentils are well coated.
• Stir in the agave (or honey), bay leaves and 7 cups of soup broth and being to a boil.
• Season with salt and pepper to taste.
• Cover the soup and reduce heat to medium low and simmer for 20 minutes or until the lentils are soft and falling apart and soup has thickened up.
• Then add the canned tomatoes and continue to cook for another 15 minutes. The tomatoes have an inhibiting affect on the lentils softening.
• You can add a little more soup broth to thin the soup if it is too thick.
• When done remove bay leaves, stir in the wine vinegar, and serve with dollops of sour cream or yogurt.
• Bon Appetit!