Lentil Vegetable Soup made vegan by The Spice Island Vegan.
Public Radio International’s This American Life recently aired a story as part of their “Neighborhood Watch” episode which gives a first-hand account of how lentil soup forged a truce between a man and the hoodlums hired to intimidate him. It is humorous and heart-warming, demonstrating the power that food has for connecting people to one another, even people that are on the opposite side of an issue.
To listen to the story, go to This American Life: Neighborhood Watch, Act 4. For those short on time, it is seven minutes long and, since it is audio and not video, you can listen to it while doing other things. Trust me, you will not be disappointed.
Finally, because this is a food blog, below is a recipe for Lentil Vegetable Soup from Ina Garten on the Food Network. It includes a picture from The Spice Island Vegan and one or two tweaks in the ingredient list for those who would like to make it vegetarian/vegan. Who knows. Maybe it’ll save your life one day.
Lentil Vegetable Soup
From Ina Garten on the Food Network
Ingredients
1 pound French green lentils
4 cups chopped yellow onions (3 large onions)
4 cups chopped leeks, white part only (2 leeks)
1 tablespoon minced garlic (3 cloves)
1/4 cup good olive oil, plus additional for drizzling on top
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1 1/2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon minced fresh thyme leaves or 1 teaspoon dried
1 teaspoon ground cumin
3 cups medium-diced celery (8 stalks)
3 cups medium-diced carrots (4 to 6 carrots)
3 quarts vegetable or chicken stock*
1/4 cup tomato paste
2 tablespoons red wine or red wine vinegar
Freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Directions
In a large bowl, cover the lentils with boiling water and allow to sit for 15 minutes. Drain.
In a large stockpot on medium heat, saute the onions, leeks, and garlic with the olive oil, salt, pepper, thyme, and cumin for 20 minutes, until the vegetables are translucent and very tender. Add the celery and carrots and saute for 10 more minutes. Add the chicken stock, tomato paste, and lentils. Cover and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer uncovered for 1 hour, until the lentils are cooked through. Check the seasonings. Add the red wine and serve hot, drizzled with olive oil and sprinkled with grated Parmesan.
Per Serving: Calories: 462; Fat: 13g; (Saturated Fat: 2.5g); Protein: 25g; Carbohydrates: 64g; Sugar: 14g; Fiber 13g; Cholesterol: 11mg; Sodium: 1,400mg
*I changed the ingredient list to be able to substitute vegetable stock instead of chicken stock if the cook so desires. Perhaps a better suggestion would be to use “Better Than Bouillion No Chicken Base by Superior Touch” as recommended by Spice Island Vegan on her blog.
