FiX: 30 minutes
SLOW COOK: 2-6 hours. the longer the better.
GOODS:
4 cups dried LENTiLS
2 tbsp. minced GARLiC
2 medium size SWEET POTATOES
4 tbsp. EXTRA ViRGiN OLiVE OiL
2 tbsp. ground YELLOW CURRY*
2 tsp. ground CARDAMOM
2 tsp. ground CORiANDER
2 tsp. RED PEPPER FLAKES
2 tsp. ground CiNNAMON
CRACKED BLACK PEPPER
2 tsp. ground ALLSPiCE
2 tsp. ground PAPRiKA
2 tbsp. RAW SUGAR
1 tsp. ground CLOVES
2 tsp. ground GiNGER
2 tsp. ground CUMiN
2 tsp.FENNEL SEEDS
3 pinches SEA SALT
1 MEYER LEMON*
8 cups WATER
YELLOW CURRY… an awesome blend of: tumeric, fenugreek, coriander, mustard flour, cumin, gingerroot, black pepper, allspice, cayenne and fennel.
MEYER LEMON: although not quite as distinctively flavorful, a regular lemon will surfice.
COOL TOPPiNG…
1 pint of LOW FAT PLAiN YOGURT
1 bushel of FLAT LEAF PARSLEY
TACKLE:
3 quart crock pot
wand hand mixer
(officially called an immersion blender)
wooden spoon
chef’s knife
4 quart pot
chop board
soup ladle
GO: grab a 4 quart pot and drop in the LENTiLS, 4 cups water, 1 tablespoon of minced GARLiC, squeeze in 1/2 a LEMON and a pinch of SEA SALT. bring to a boil. drop to low cook for 20 minutes.
WHiLE… the lentils are cooking. grab the crockpot and set to low. add in 2 tablespoons of EXTRA ViRGiN OLiVE OiL, 1 tablespoon of minced GARLiC, FENNEL SEEDS, along with the roughly peeled / chopped SWEET POTATOES.
now onto the the spices… drop in 2 tablespoons of YELLOW CURRY. sprinkle in the 2 teaspoons of: CiNNAMON, CARDEMON, CORiANDER, CUMiN, GiNGER, PAPRiKA and RED PEPPER FLAKES. 1 teaspoon of ALLSPiCE and 5 rounds (1/8 tsp) of CRACKED BLACK PEPPER.
add in half of the cooked LENTiLS. sqeeze in the other 1/2 of LEMON give a good stir. cover. forget. for at least 4-6 hours while the crock pot does all the work.
MiX: about and hour before serving, grab the wand mixer and blend until creamy. drop in the rest of the LENTiLS. give a good stir. add RAW SUGAR to taste and another round of CRACKED BLACK PEPPER. since i like things spicy, at this point i tend to ad hock more spices for even more flavor. so i say experiment if your a spice lover.
ASSEMBLAGE: super simple. i grab some big soup bowls and saucers and pour in a hefty size ladle or two into each. top off with a dopple of LOW FAT PLAiN YOGURT, a few leaves of FRESH FLAT PARSLEY and a final round of CRACKED BLACK PEPPER. serve with your favorite rustic bread.
TRADER JOE’S: i’m fortunate to live next to one. they sell an inexpensive tasty curry nan — which i deck out with a bit of olive oil, minced garlic, sprinkle of curry and some finely chopped fresh flat leaf parsley. put under the broiler for 60 seconds. YUM!
SPECiAL NOTE: this dish can easily be vegan… just delete the LOW FAT PLAiN YOGURT. for a rich luscious taste, substitute a drizzle of EXTRA ViRGiN OLiVE OiL on top of each serving.
FEEDS: this pot of soup can serve at least 6. with plenty of leftovers that taste even better three days later. freezes great!
