Red Lentil Soup

Red Lentil Soup from Moosewood “Cooks at Home”

1 ½ cups red lentils
6 cups water
3 bayleaves
4 garlic cloves, chopped

2 slices fresh ginger root, each about the size of a quarter (I sliced them smaller and just left them in)

2 medium carrots (1 cup grated)
1 cup canned tomatoes, or 1 medium + fresh tomato, chopped (undrained)

1 small red or green bell pepper (1/2 cup finely chopped)

1 ½ cup chopped onions
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 ½ teaspoons ground cumin
1 ½ teaspoons ground coriander
pinch of cayenne
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
salt and ground black pepper to taste

Sort and rinse the lentils. Put them into a soup pot with the water, bay leaves, garlic and ginger. Cover and place on high heat.

Prepare the carrots, tomatoes, and bell peppers, and add them to the pot. Bring to a boil, stir, reduce the heat, and simmer, covered, for 15 to 20 minutes, until the lentils are tender.

While the vegetables simmer, sauté the onions on medium heat in the olive oil in a heavy skillet for about 10 minutes or until browned. Add the cumin, coriander, and cayenne, and sauté for another minute, stirring to prevent sticking. Remove from heat. When the lentils are tender, remove the bay leaves, and ginger from the soup pot. Stir in the sautéed onions and the lemon juice. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Per 8 oz. serving: 82 calories, 3.3 g protein, 3.2 g fat, 11.2 g carbohydrate, 74 mg sodium, 0 mg cholesterol.