It's Friday So It Must Be Soup! Nov26/10

I really love soup. I love almost any soup and I can't recall the last time I ate a soup that I disliked enough to think "well, I will die happy if I never have to eat THAT soup again".


Now that winter is closing in on us, I will most likely make at least one soup a week until spring when I will become obsessed with grilling and forget all about soup. This is my first soup of the week and I will endeavour to share a new soup every week and I will call it "It's Friday So It Must Be Soup!"


I love red lentils and so I am always on the look out for new and exiting things to do with them. While I was perusing Taste Spotting, I found this great looking recipe for Morrocan Red Lentil Soup at Alice In Paris Loves Art and Tea and it will definately be something I make again this winter.


2 Tbsp Olive Oil or Canola (25 ml) 
2 Onions, chopped 
5 cloves of Garlic, minced 
2 Celery stalks, chopped
(1 Carrot ,chopped.....my addition) 

1 tsp Pepper ( 5ml) 
1 1/2 tsp Turmeric (6 ml)
1 1/2 tsp Cinnamon ( 6ml) 
2 tsp ground Cumin ( 10 ml) 
1 tsp fresh Ginger grated or 1/2 tsp. ground (2ml)
salt to taste

6 cups of water or stock (1.5L)( if using water add some low sodium bullion cubes)
1 cup Red Lentils (250ml) 
1 Tsp Tomato Paste (15ml) 
2 Potatoes peeled and cubed( I used one regular and one Sweet Potato) ( Can also use Squash instead of potatoes) (i used a sweet potato as one of my potatoes)
1 can stewed Tomatoes (19oz/540ml) 
1 cup frozen Peas( 250ml) (i left out the peas)
(I added a handful of chopped cilantro because it felt like it was screaming for cilantro)
1/4 cup Sour Cream ( I used non-fat Balkan yogurt) (i left out the sour cream but would try it with greek yogurt next time)
2 Tbsp parsley(25ml) (again, i used cilantro instead)

Preparation

1. In large heavy saucepan or Dutch oven, heat oil over medium heat; cook onions, garlic and celery, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes.

2. Add salt, pepper, turmeric, cumin, cinnamon, ginger, and saffron (if using); cook, stirring often, for 2 minutes.

3. Add water/stock, lentils, tomato paste, potatoes and tomatoes, breaking up tomatoes with spoon; bring to boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 40 minutes.

4. Add frozen peas; simmer until peas are cooked, about 5 min. Ladle into bowls. Dollop each with sour cream; sprinkle with parsley.