On My Hearth: Brown Lentil Soup

One of our favorite presenters on the cruise, The Compassionate Cook, Colleen Patrick-Goudreau, shared this recipe during one of her cooking classes.  It was so flavorful and filling, full of "meaty" lentils and mushrooms, I knew I had to make it in my own kitchen.  Yesterday I did just that.

You know how much I love my Crock-pot, so when Colleen confirmed that this recipe is slowcooker-friendly, I decided to go that route.  

                     

                           Brown Lentil Soup
       
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  2        tablespoons  water -- for sautéing
  1              large  yellow onion -- chopped
  3             cloves  garlic -- finely chopped
  1                cup  cremini or shiitake mushrooms -- thinly sliced
  2                     carrots -- finely chopped
  2                     celery stalks -- finely chopped
  2               cups  lentils -- picked through and rinsed
  8               cups  vegetable stock
  1           teaspoon truffle salt (or regular salt)
     1/2      teaspoon  freshly ground coriander seed
     1/2      teaspoon  freshly ground cumin
                        salt and pepper -- to taste
                        chopped fresh parsley -- as garnish

Heat the water in a soup pot over medium heat.  Once hot, add the onion, garlic, mushrooms, carrot, and celery, and cook until the onions are translucent, about 7 minutes.  Add the lentils, stock, truffle salt, coriander, and cumin, and stir to combine.  Increase the heat to high and bring to a boil.  Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover, and cook until the lentils are tender, about 35 to 40 minutes.

If desired, add more salt to taste.

Serve as is, or using an immersion blender, puree to your preferred consistency.  Alternatively, you may transfer a portion of the soup to the blender, puree, and then return to the pot.

Serve hot, topped with fresh ground pepper and chopped parsley.

Description:
  "Perfect as it is, semi-pureed, it's both smooth and textured.  It's hearty, nutritious, and full of flavor"
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Per Serving (as calculated by Mastercook): 355 Calories; 1g Fat (2.5% calories from fat); 22g Protein; 71g Carbohydrate; 25g Dietary Fiber; 0mg Cholesterol; 389mg Sodium. 



The verdict: This was as delicious as I expected, the perfect dinner for a chilly Spring evening.  Be sure to use some good bread to mop up the juices, you don't want to miss a single bite! Oh, you might note that there's no parsley garnish on the top of this bowl; that's because Hubby doesn't care for it, or cilantro! To each his/her own, right?