Lentil Soup Vincent
Lentil Soup Vincent can feed a crowd

Too bad. The kids were all hoping for a snow day. Some Moms, too. “Stock up,” a weathercaster warned. “It’ll hit about noon on Sunday,” predicted another.

Come Sunday noon, there wasn’t a flake to be seen. But by five, it was coming down hard. By nine, there were three inches on the ground and it was still falling. I imagined the neighbor kids peering out the window while getting ready for bed. “Is school cancelled yet?” the younger one would ask hopefully.

But by eleven, the snow had stopped, leaving a vast clean expanse of white when morning dawned with a big blue sky and a big golden sun.

Most days, I watch a neighbor boy trudging down the street to school, his heavy backpack hanging low on his hips. This morning, however, he zigzagged along the street, stepping into the unmarred snow in every yard, stretching his legs as wide as possible between footprints. Perhaps better than a snow day is a day spent in snow.

ALANNA's TIPS This makes a lot so make sure your pot is big enough; here that means getting out the big stockpot but you might split the ingredients between two Dutch ovens. Start sautéing the first vegetables as you chop the rest. Using a whole bag of lentils means that this soup is quite thick. If you like a “soupier soup” with more broth, add liquid early on.
Kitchen Parade is written by second-generation food columnist Alanna Kellogg and features fresh, seasonal dishes for every-day healthful eating and occasional indulgences. Share a favorite winter soup recipe via e-mail.

LENTIL SOUP VINCENT

Hands-on time: 30 minutes
Stove-top time: 2½ hours
Makes 14 cups
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 2 large onions, chopped (about 4 cups)
  • 4 garlic cloves, minced
  • 2 cups chopped celery
  • 2 cups chopped carrot
  • 1 teaspoon curry powder
  • 1 teaspoon cumin
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme, crumbled
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 2 teaspoon brown sugar
  • 2 tablespoons ketchup
  • 5 cups water
  • 3 14-ounce cans chicken broth
  • 28 ounces canned diced tomatoes
  • 16 ounces dried green lentils (about 3 cups), rinsed and picked over
  • 1/2 cup dry Sherry

In a large kettle, heat olive oil over medium high. Add onions, garlic, celery and carrot. Cook for 10 – 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until onions are deep gold in color. Stir in spices, than add the remaining ingredients. Cover and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to maintain a slow simmer. Simmer for about 2 hours or until lentils are tender. Discard bay leaves and serve.

NUTRITION ESTIMATE Per Cup: 98Cal; 4g Protein; 2g Tot Fat; 0g Sat Fat; 16g Carb; 4g Fiber; 754mg Sodium; 0mg Cholesterol; Weight Watchers 1 point

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LATER NOTES

• Funny story: I made this soup as the family gathered before Christmas a few years ago. Everyone gobbled it up except Alex, my younger nephew, who picked and spooned and moved his soup around. He'd had the required 'taste' - the family rule is 'You don't have to like it but you do have to taste it'. His mom quietly explained that he really wasn't so fond of lentils. No problem. Fast forward to the next Christmas. I made the soup again (it's a favorite, right?!) and only just as my sister and nephews were walking in the door after 14 hours of driving, did I remember Alex's reaction the year before. So I got out the peanut butter and then joked, "Hey A'x, I made your very favorite lentil soup!" He answered, "Good!", we sat down to eat, he cleaned up the whole bowl and hit the kitchen for seconds.
• In 2007, I made Lentil Soup Vincent with French lentils and black lentils, which hold their shape. The soup turned out delicious, as usual, but did take much longer to cook and wasn't quite as creamy.

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© Copyright 2004 Kitchen Parade

February 06, 2004 printme Page Permalink |email E-Mail this Recipe
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