by Caitlin Saniga
This lentil soup has a slightly sweet taste, thanks, in part, to the tomatoes, carrots and paprika.
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1 medium onion, diced finely
- 4-5 sprigs of thyme, leaves removed and roughly chopped
- 1 teaspoon dried tarragon
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 4-5 cloves of garlic, peeled, trimmed and minced
- 2 medium carrots, diced finely
- 1 large stalk celery, diced finely
- 1 28-ounce can diced tomatoes
- 1 1/3 cups french lentils, picked over, rinsed and drained
- 6 cups vegetable stock
- salt and pepper
- thyme sprigs, chopped parsley or snipped chives for garnish.
Heat the oil in a large pot over medium-low heat. Add the onions and saute for at least 10 minutes, stirring them frequently. When the onions are quite soft, add the herbs and paprika and saute for another 5 minutes, stirring all the while. Add the garlic and stir until very fragrant, about 1 minute longer. Add the carrots and celery and cook for another 5-10 minutes, until all vegetables are soft.
Add the can of tomatoes and stir to coat the vegetables. Cook out the tomatoes for about 5 minutes. Add the drained lentils and stir to coat in the vegetables, oil and tomatoes. Add a splash of the stock and scrape any browned bits on the bottom of the pot. Add the remaining stock, give the whole mix a good stir and bring to a boil. Once boiling, return the pot to a simmer, cover with a heavy lid and allow to cook for 25-30 minutes or until the lentils are soft. Check in on the pot once in a while and give it a stir. Season to your liking. Garnish with sprigs of thyme, parsley or chives, if desired.
Makes 6 servings.
Recipe adapted from: The First Mess
