It looks like my need to curl up on the sofa and let my husband do the cooking from a few days ago meant something: I’ve come down with a nasty cold. Now, unlike others, I never lose my appetite when I’m sick- what happens is that I crave all sorts of comfort food, from a bucket of Kentucky Fried Chicken (for lunch yesterday) to this deliciously soothing Carrot and Lentil Soup.
The secret to the goodness of this soup is to serve it with a healthy- and I mean generous dollop of good sour cream. I’m serious when I say that eating this soup somehow makes me feel better right away- is it the sunny orangeness of the carrots? Or the chicken soup base? Whatever, this is soup that makes you sigh. Try it and see:
Carrot & Lentil Soup
Ingredients:
5 large carrots, chopped roughly into medium pieces
5 ounces red lentils
1 large yellow onion, chopped roughly into medium pieces
1 large can (16 oz) whole tomatoes
2 cups homemade chicken stock
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
For garnish: chopped fresh chives, sour cream
Begin frying onions with the tablespoon of olive oil in a saucepan. Cook them until translucent only (do not brown). Add in the carrots, and continue cooking for a few minutes. Add chicken stock, and bring to a boil. Add the lentils, turn heat down, and let simmer for around fifteen minutes.
When the carrots and lentils are soft, blend the soup with a hand blender (or a potato masher, in a pinch), adding more stock or water to get it to the consistency of your choice. Add the canned tomatoes, and blend some more. Bring it back to a boil for a minute or so. Serve topped with chopped chives and the aforementioned sour cream.