Curried lentil soup

I made a big pot of soup last night to fuel some girl talk with a friend I hadn't seen in a while and while I didn't take a picture, I wanted to get the recipe up quickly before I forgot what I did. It was really easy, really delicious, really healthful and really cheap. It's a winner. Really.

I used Heidi's recipe as a starting point, but added a lot of spices and vegetables. Next time, I think I might leave out the zucchini because it softens so much in the liquid, but add a finely chopped apple in with the vegetables.

Curried lentil soup

olive oil
1 onion, chopped
3 shallots, chopped
crushed red pepper
1/2 t. ground coriander
2 t. cumin
1 t. turmeric
1 t. garam masala
2 large carrots, halved lengthwise and chopped
2/3 lb. cauliflower florets, chopped into small pieces
8 c. water
1 1/3 c. red lentils, picked over and rinsed
1/2 c. brown rice, picked over and rinsed
1 medium zucchini, quarters lengthwise and chopped
salt

In a big soup pot, over medium heat, combine the olive oil, onion, shallots, and red pepper flakes. Let them brown, and caramelize a bit, stirring occasionally. Stir in the spices and toast 30 seconds or so. Add the carrots and cauliflower and sweat for a couple of minutes.

Add the water, lentils and rice. Bring to a boil, then simmer for about 30 minutes or until the rice is very tender, and not at all toothsome. By this time, the lentils will have collapsed into a thick slop of sorts. If you need to add more water/broth at any point do so a splash at a time, until the soup thins out to the point you prefer. Salt to taste.

[originally posted on my old food blog 10.21.2009]