This soul-warming soup is a meal in itself, perfect for anyone feeling under the weather. As an added bonus, children love it and you can sneak all kinds of vegetables into it without their knowledge!

Serves 4–6

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 tbsp. olive oil
• 1 onion, roughly chopped
• 1 green or red bell pepper, seeded and roughly chopped
• 1 carrot, peeled and roughly chopped
• 1 zucchini, roughly chopped
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1 tsp. ground cumin
• 1 tsp. ground coriander
• 1 cup split red lentils, washed and picked over
• 5 cups vegetable bouillon
• 1 (14-oz.) can plum tomatoes
• 2 tsp. tomato paste
• 1 bay leaf
• Sea salt and black pepper
• Fresh parsley or cilantro, to garnish

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Heat the oil in a saucepan, then add the onion and cook over a low heat for 5–7 minutes until soft.
2. Stir in the bell pepper, carrot, and zucchini, and cook for 3 minutes.
3. Add the garlic, cumin, and coriander, then cook, stirring constantly, for another minute.
4. Add the remaining soup ingredients, lentils, bouillon, tomatoes and juice, tomato paste, and bay leaf.
5. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat, cover, and simmer for 30 minutes, until the lentils and vegetables are very soft.
6. Remove the bay leaf and blend the soup with an immersion blender or in a food processor.
7. Dilute with a little more bouillon if you prefer it thinner.
8. Season to taste, then reheat, and serve garnished with parsley or cilantro.

VARIATIONS:

CHUNKY FRENCH LENTIL SOUP:

• Prepare the chunky lentil soup variation above, and use French lentils in place of red lentils, 2 sliced celery stalks in place of the zucchini, and green not red bell pepper. Garnish with parsley.

SILKEN YELLOW PEA SOUP:

• Prepare the basic recipe, using 1 cup yellow split peas, soaked overnight in cold water, in place of red lentils. Increase the cooking time to 60 minutes.

MULLIGATAWNY SOUP:

• Prepare the basic recipe, adding 1 peeled, cored, and chopped green apple with the vegetables. Use 1–2 tablespoons medium curry powder, to taste, in place of the ground cumin, and add 1 teaspoon dried mint. Stir 1 tablespoon lime juice into the blended soup.

LENTIL SOUP WITH BABY SPINACH:

• Prepare the basic recipe. Stir 1/2 pound baby spinach into the soup when reheating, and cook just until wilted. There is no need to garnish this variation.