Lentil Soup

The inspiration for this soup springs from two remarkable cuisines - French and Lebanese.  While you can certainly make it with olive oil instead of duck fat (I know not everyone has a repository of assorted fats in their freezer), it is particularly delicious this way.  Similarly, you can make it without sausage (which, along with the olive oil would give you a vegan dish), but the sausage does round it out nicely.

Serves 4 - 6
Total prep and cooking time:  60 minutes

1 cup green lentils

1/4 cup pearl barley

1 large onion, finely chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 ribs celery, finely chopped

2 carrots, chopped into quarter rounds

2 medium fresh tomatoes, seeded and diced

1 tablespoon duck fat or olive oil

8 cups of water or stock

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 -3 sprigs fresh thyme

1 bayleaf

1/2 teaspoon ground coriander seed

 juice from a lemon

salt

pepper

optional: 2 chicken or turkey smokie-style sausages, diced

Wash lentils and let drain.  In a large soup pot, heat the duck fat or olive oil over medium heat until it shimmers.  Add the onion, celery, and carrot, and stir well.  If using sausage, add it now.  Add the bayleaf, cumin, coriander, and thyme, and stir and sautee until the onions turn translucent.  Add salt and pepper, stir through.  Add the barley and garlic, and stir through.  Add all of the water (or stock, if you wish) and bring to a simmer.  Let cook, stirring occasionally, for about 15 minutes.  Add the drained lentils, and stir through. 

Bring back to a gentle simmer, and cook for about 30 minutes, or until lentils and barley are both cooked through but not mushy.  Add tomatoes and lemon juice, and cook until they are heated through, another two or three minutes.  Adjust for salt and pepper. 

Remove the thyme sprig (the leaves will have fallen off into the soup) and the bayleaf.  Serve with a good chunk of bread.

 

PSSST!

Welcome to the brand new look for Always in the Kitchen.  The new site was developed by Julie McGalliard, who sorted out my barely coherent ramblings about what I wanted, and developed the art and technical components for the entire site.  Thanks, Julie!

The older pages will be brought into the new format gradually, as I find the time to do it.  In the meantime, please be patient.  Let me know if you find any broken links, or if the site is acting weird, though.