Lentil (Dal) Soup
Also called Dal Soup, this is a recipe I love to make when the weather is chilly. Satisfying and just spicy enough. It is a great dish to serve when vegetarian friends or family are over and still hearty enough for the meat eaters. The mix of spices gives it great flavor.
This recipe came from a local restaurant that is now closed. So the only way for me to enjoy this soup is to make it myself.
I cook it just until the lentils are tender, but not cooked to mush. Serve with a lemon wedge to squeeze on the soup before eating.
Lentil (Dal) Soup
8 c. water
1 ½ T. ground turmeric
1 T. ground coriander
3 bay leaves
2 garlic cloves, minced
½ t. cayenne pepper
2 2/3 c. Lentils, rinsed (about 1 pound)
¼ c. olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
1 t. fresh minced ginger
1 t. cumin seed
½ t. mustard seed
2 T. fresh lemon juice
Salt to taste
Lemon wedges
Bring first 6 ingredients to boil in large pot. Add lentils; reduce to a simmer and cook, covered, until lentils are tender, about 45 minutes. Meanwhile, in skillet over medium heat cook onions and seasonings in oil until onion starts to brown, about 10 minutes. Stir in lemon juice. Add this mixture to lentil mixture and cook until soup reaches desired consistency. Add salt to taste. Serve in bowls and garnish with lemon wedges. Serves 8.
Basque Soup
I taught a class last night on vegetarian cooking. This one was one of the dishes we made. It is a favorite of mine. It was enjoyed by the class, too. The soup is hearty and rich flavored. We used oil and oat milk, so the soup was vegan. You could use milk and butter, if you prefer. It tastes great, either way. It also comes together quickly, with ingredients you can keep on hand, so it is a great homemade soup when you don’t have a lot of time. The combination of milk, tomatoes and corn also makes it a pretty dish to serve. We used a jar of my home canned tomatoes and corn I had frozen last summer.
Basque Soup
1 c. chopped onions
1 1/2 c. chopped celery
1/4 c. oil or butter – we used oil in class
1/4 c. flour
3 c. milk*
1 (16 oz.) jar stewed tomatoes, undrained
1 can whole kernel corn, undrained- we used frozen corn
3-4 cans butter beans, drained and rinsed
3-4 cups water and 1T. paste-type vegetable soup base
or 3-4 cups vegetable broth
pepper to taste
hot pepper sauce to taste
shredded mild cheese, optional
Sauté onions and celery in oil until tender. Stir in flour until smooth and add milk, stirring to keep lumps from forming. Stir over medium heat until milk has thickened and begins to boil. Stir constantly as mixture simmers for an additional minute or two. Add remaining ingredients, except cheese and bring up to a simmer. Adjust seasonings. Ladle into bowls and top with cheese, if desired. Serves 8-10.
Note: You can use almond, rice, oat or soy milk in place of the dairy milk, if you like.
Basque Soup
Basque Soup
We made this soup in class last night. This is a vegetarian soup that should satisfy most carnivores. It is made with butter beans, tomatoes, corn and onions. Add vegetable broth and some milk and you have a rich and filling bowl of soup in no time at all. You can also make this soup vegan- we did in class last night- by using almond milk in place of the dairy milk.
Basque Soup
1 c. chopped onions
1 1/2 c. chopped celery
1/4 c. oil
1/4 c. flour
3 c. milk*
1 (14 oz.) can diced tomatoes, undrained
1 can whole kernel corn, undrained
3-4 cans butter beans, drained and rinsed
3-4 cups water and 1T. paste-type vegetable soup base
or 3-4 cups vegetable broth
pepper to taste
hot pepper sauce to taste
shredded mild cheese, optional
Sauté onions and celery in oil until tender. Stir in flour until smooth and add milk, stirring to keep lumps from forming. Stir over medium heat until milk has thickened and begins to boil. Stir constantly as mixture simmers for an additional minute or two. Add remaining ingredients, except cheese and bring up to a simmer. Adjust seasonings. Ladle into bowls and top with cheese, if desired. Serves 8-10.
Note: You can use almond, rice or soy milk in place of the dairy milk, if you like.
