Spinach and Lentil Soup with Cheese and Basil

A lovely soup. And not difficult to make at all.

Spinach and Lentil Soup with Cheese and Basil
Courtesy of Cooking Light

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil 
1/4 cup chopped pancetta (about 1 ounce)
1 1/4 cups chopped onion 
3/4 cup chopped celery 
3/4 cup chopped carrot 
1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
1 bay leaf
1 cup dried brown lentils
3 cups fat-free, lower-sodium chicken broth 
2 cups water
1 (6-ounce) package fresh baby spinach 
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil
1/4 cup (1 ounce) grated fresh Parmesan cheese 
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice 
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Heat a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add pancetta; cook 1 minute or until pancetta begins to brown, stirring occasionally. Add onion and next 4 ingredients (through bay leaf); cook 8 minutes or until vegetables are tender, stirring occasionally. Add lentils, broth, and 2 cups water; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 40 minutes or until lentils are tender and mixture is slightly thickened. Remove from heat. Discard bay leaf.

Place 2 cups lentil mixture in a blender. Remove the center piece of blender lid (to allow steam to escape), and secure blender lid on blender. Place a clean towel over opening in blender lid (to avoid splatters), and blend until smooth. Return pureed lentil mixture to pan. Add baby spinach, chopped basil, Parmesan cheese, lemon juice, and black pepper; stir until spinach wilts. Serve immediately.

Indian-Spiced Tomato Soup with Basil Yogurt Drizzle

Meh. This isn't awful, but it's certainly not good enough to make again. I don't think actually having the black salt would have helped either (I only had fleur de sel). Hrmph.

Indian-Spiced Tomato Soup with Basil Yogurt Drizzle
Courtesy of Sarah's Cucina Bella



Soup:
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 large onion, chopped finely
2 tablespoon grated ginger
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon garam masala
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1 can (about 14 ounces) diced tomatoes
1 cup dried red lentils, rinsed and picked over
1 teaspoon kosher salt
4 cups vegetable broth

Drizzle:
1 6-ounce cup vanilla yogurt
1/2 cup packed fresh basil
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon olive oil

Finishing salt (such as black sea salt), to taste

Heat the oil over medium heat in a pot. Stir in onion, garlic and ginger. Cook for 7-10 minutes, until the onion is soft and translucent. Stir in the garam masala and cumin. Cook for 1 minute.

Add the tomatoes, lentils, salt and vegetable broth to the pot. Stir well to combine.

Cover the pot and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 35-40 minutes, until the lentils are soft.

Remove from the heat and use an immersion blender to puree the soup. Set aside.

Combine the yogurt, basil, salt and olive oil in a food processor (a mini one works great for this). Puree until smooth.

To serve: Dish up the soup and then drizzle each with the yogurt mixture. Sprinkle with finishing salt.

Notes:
You can use a blender to puree the soup as well. However, be careful while it’s still hot – small batches are best.

Store leftovers in the fridge for up to five days (yogurt and soup separate).

Spicy Lentil Soup

I loved the combination of flavors in this soup. And it was beautifully autumnal. I wasn't entirely expecting it, so it was a nice little surprise when it started to give off the gorgeous aroma during the simmering process. Yum.

I have never used anchovies before, and while I liked the depth of flavor it gave the dish, I'm definitely going to be looking for the resealable paste tubes next time. I had no idea what to do with the leftover anchovies in the tin, so I tossed them. Did I panic? Probably. But I wasn't willing to risk stinking up my fridge and kind of knew I was probably never going to use them but would probably end up just buying the paste or another tin.

Oh, and I'm refusing to call this a "stoup" because I think that label is dumb. Sorry, Rachael.

Spicy Lentil Soup
Courtesy of Rachael Ray



2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 canned anchovy fillets
1/4 pound pancetta, cut into cubes
1 large baking potato, peeled and chopped
2 carrots, peeled and grated
1 onion, chopped
3 to 4 cloves garlic, grated or finely chopped
2 to 3 sprigs fresh rosemary
1 bay leaf
2 teaspoons sweet smoked paprika or ground cumin
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
Salt and black pepper
1 1/2 cups dried lentils
Two 32-ounce containers (2 quarts) chicken broth
One 14.5-ounce can fire-roasted diced tomatoes
1 bunch kale, stemmed and chopped (about 4 cups)
Crusty bread or rolls, for serving

In a large, heavy pot, heat the oil, 2 turns of the pan, over medium-high heat. Stir in the anchovies until melted, then add the pancetta and cook until crisp, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the potato, carrots, onion and garlic. Season with the rosemary sprigs, bay leaf, paprika, crushed red pepper, allspice and salt and black pepper to taste; cook until the vegetables are softened, 7 to 8 minutes.

Stir in the lentils, chicken broth and tomatoes and bring to a boil. Lower the heat, stir in the kale and simmer until the lentils are tender, about 30 minutes. Discard the bay leaf and rosemary sprigs. Serve the soup with the crusty bread.