Curried Lentil Soup

Two soup recipe posts in one week? It must be January. But while the broccoli cheddar soup I told you about on Monday is more of a rich indulgence, this lentil one lies on the opposite end of the soup spectrum. I guess the word I can best use to describe it is "wholesome."

I've actually had lentil soup on the brain for the past couple of months and have even gone so far as to bookmark about five or so recipes with every intention of making them. But for some reason it wasn't until I read Molly Wizenburg's column in the December issue of Bon Appetit that I finally got around to it. Maybe I ended up making this version because her description of the soup was so mouthwatering, or maybe it was just because I had all the ingredients on hand. Either way, I'm glad I did it because this soup lived up to every letter of Molly's beautiful description. I think it's going to become a winter staple around these parts.

Curried Lentil Soup (from bonappetit.com)

One quick note about this recipe: use a curry powder you like. I used the generic yellow stuff simply marked "curry powder" because I had it sitting in my cupboard, then added some cumin and cayenne pepper to give it more kick, but I really wish I had used something with a little more smoky depth to it. It would have made this soup even better.


(Image via bonappetit.com)

3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 medium onion, chopped
1 medium carrot, finely chopped
2 large garlic cloves, chopped, divided
2 tablespoons (or more) curry powder
1 cup French green lentils (I found mine in the bulk section of Whole Foods)
4 1/4 cups (or more) water, divided
1 15- to 16-ounce can chickpeas (garbanzo beans), drained, rinsed
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) butter
2 green onions, thinly sliced
1 lemon, cut into 6 wedges

1) Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in heavy large pot over medium heat. Add onion and carrot; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cook until onion is translucent, stirring occasionally, about 4 minutes.
2) Add half of chopped garlic; stir until vegetables are soft but not brown, about 4 minutes longer.
3) Add 2 tablespoons curry powder; stir until fragrant, about 1 minute.
4) Add lentils and 4 cups water. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
5) Increase heat and bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium; simmer until lentils are tender, about 30 minutes.
6) Meanwhile, puree chickpeas, lemon juice, 1/4 cup water, remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil, and remaining garlic in processor.
7) Add chickpea puree and butter to lentil soup. Season to taste with salt, pepper, and additional curry powder, if desired. Add water by 1/4 cupfuls to thin to desired consistency.

Broccoli and Cheddar Chowder

Doesn’t that name sound a helluva lot more appetizing than just plain old broccoli cheese? Actually the real name of this soup, found in The Gourmet Cookbook, is Broccoli, Red Pepper, and Cheddar Chowder. But I left out the red pepper because A) I didn’t really like the sound of it in this soup and B) red peppers aren’t in season right now and therefore too expensive for a gal on a budget.

Without the red pepper, though, this recipe is essentially Gourmet’s take on classic broccoli cheese soup, a dish that I’ve always had mixed feelings about. At its best, broccoli cheese soup is the epitome of winter comfort food—creamy and rich but chock full of wholesome little broccoli chunks. At its worst, it’s a thick, velveeta-filled sludge of mushy vegetables.

I was intrigued by this particular recipe when I saw that it used potato to give the soup some body rather than just the standard roux or unholy amounts of cheese. I made it for dinner on a cold winter’s night when we were feeling indulgent and, to be totally honest, wasn’t overly impressed. The soup was good, it was just a little bit on the thin side and had an almost sour aftertaste to it that I couldn’t quite pinpoint.

But then a miraculous thing happened. When I heated up the leftover soup for lunch at work the next day, I noticed that not only had the consistency thickened up a bit, but the strange sour taste from the night before had disappeared completely and the flavor of the soup was incredible. So from now on, I’ll be making this soup the day before I plan to eat it. Kind of a pain but the best things in life, they say, are worth waiting for.

Broccoli and Cheddar Chowder (Adapted from The Gourmet Cookbook;also found here)

1 small head broccoli (1/2 pound)
1 large boiling potato (1/2 pound)
1 large onion, chopped
l large garlic clove, finely chopped
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3/4 cup heavy cream
1 1/2 cups (6 oz) sharp Cheddar, coarsely grated (I used mild)

1) Discard tough lower third of broccoli stem. Peel remaining stem and finely chop. Cut remaining broccoli into very small (1-inch) florets. Cook florets in a large pot of boiling salted water until just tender, 2 to 3 minutes.
2) Transfer with a slotted spoon to a bowl of ice water to stop cooking, then drain. Reserve 3 cups cooking water for chowder.
3) Peel potato and cut into 1/2-inch cubes. Cook potato, onion, broccoli stems, and garlic in butter in a 3- to 4-quart heavy pot over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until onion is softened, 8 to 10 minutes.
4) Add cumin, salt, pepper, and mustard and cook, stirring, 1 minute. Add flour and cook, stirring, 2 minutes.
5) Add reserved cooking water and simmer (partially covered), stirring occasionally, until potatoes are tender, about 10 minutes. Stir in cream and cheese and cook, stirring, until cheese is melted, then season with salt and pepper.
6) Purée about 2 cups of chowder in a blender until smooth (use caution when blending hot liquids) and return to pot. Add florets and cook over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until heated through, about 2 minutes.