Curried Lentil Soup

This soup couldn't have arrived in my life at a better time. It was the day before moving day and my sweet sister-in-law brought it over to finish simmering while she helped me with packing. It could have been because I was famished and exhausted or just because it is truly delicious, but I fell in love with it. She found the recipe in bon appétit and we really haven't done much to improve upon it other than add a bit more carrot and of course, a lot more garlic. The unique thing about this soup is the garbanzo mixture that you add towards the end. It gives the soup great body and a hint of creaminess. The curry rounds things out with a lovely warmth that pushes it over the edge into yummytown. 

3 tablespoons olive oil, 1 for sautéing & 2 for the garbanzo mixture

1 medium onion, chopped

1-2 medium carrots, chopped

2 (or more to taste) large garlic cloves, chopped, divided - we used about 5

2 tablespoons (or more to taste) curry powder

1 cup French green lentils- we had regular green on hand which work also

4 1/4 cups (or more) water, divided

1 15- to 16-ounce can garbanzo beans (chickpeas), drained, rinsed

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) butter- you can always leave this out to cut the fat a bit

2 green onions, thinly sliced

1 lemon, cut into 6 wedges

Sauté the onion and carrot in 1 Tablespoon of Olive Oil for about 5 minutes or until onion is translucent. Add half of the chopped garlic and cook for another 5 minutes. Add curry powder and stir for 1 minute. We always soak our lentils for a little while but it’s really not necessary if you’re in a hurry. 

Add lentils and 4 cups water. You can always add more water later if the soup is too thick for your 

liking. Reduce heat to medium and let simmer for about 30 minutes or until lentils are tender- this will depend on what type of lentils you are using. We used green which tend to cook a bit faster than french green. 

While the lentils are simmering get your garbanzo mix-in ready. Puree them with the remaining garlic and olive oil, ¼ cup water and lemon juice. This ends up being almost like a hummus minus the tahini. 

Once lentils are tender add in the garbanzo puree and the butter. Season to taste with salt, pepper and additional curry powder, if desired. If you would like to thin the soup a bit, now is the time to do it. Start with ¼ cup water at a time until you reach the consistency you are looking for. We usually keep it on the thick side.

Garnish with sliced green onions and serve with a lemon wedge. Bom proveito. 

The nights selection: 

To go with so much warmth and flavor we needed to have some nice white wine to balance things out. We chose a 14.5% chardonnay called Toasted Head. The bouquet is strong which marries well with the full spectrum of flavor in the lentil soup. We felt that the sounds for the evening should have the same characteristics, so we chose Yo La Tengo’s 2000 album, “And Then Nothing Turned Itself Inside Out”, just like the soup, it offers a great range of flavors to satisfy your hunger. Yum yum double yum.