Yes, I’m a bit behind on my posting, but this recipe is too good to pass by. I love lentil soup. It’s easy and filling. Lentils are a nutritious and ancient food with a light ecological footprint. Every culture does something with lentils. I’ve indulged in spicy Indian dals and middle eastern soups that are tangy with lemon juice. It’s versatile. I typically throw in carrots, spinach and rice but any veggie or grain will do.
The Boston Globe launched a winter soup club in January (yes, way late in my postings) and I eagerly signed up for the weekly newsletter. The first soup was lentil. It called for the universal soup trifecta of onions, carrots and celery to flavor the dish as it cooked. I have a favorite lentil soup from Claudia Roden’s excellent A Book of Middle Eastern Food. Like the Globe recipe, her lentil soup called for carrots, onions and celery at first, then suggested adding rice to thicken the broth. I’ve made – and enjoyed – this for years, so I wasn’t expecting much when I tried the Globe recipe.
To my surprise, the Globe recipe was fantastic, better than the Rodan soup – and that’s saying a lot. Perhaps it was the vegetable broth rather than plain water. Or, maybe the sprinkle of parmesan at the end made the difference. I’m not sure, but it’s since become my favorite of all the lentil soups I’ve tried. It’s still simple and, like all things lentil, full of flavor. Try it. Maybe it will become your favorite too!
Boston Globe soup club lentil soup recipe and, whoa, that’s one long URL: https://www.bostonglobe.com/2024/01/30/lifestyle/boston-globe-newsletter-winter-soup-club-lentil/?p1=Article_Inline_Text_Link