Lentil Soup With Pounded Walnuts And Cream Food

LENTIL SOUP WITH POUNDED WALNUTS AND CREAM

Steps:

• Soak the lentils in water for 2 hours, then drain.
• Melt the butter in a large pot over low heat. Add the onion and bay leaf. Sauté over medium-high heat until onion is translucent, 5 minutes. Add lentils, stock and 1 teaspoon salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat. Simmer, covered, until lentils are soft, about 30 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
• Using a mortar and pestle, pound the garlic with a large pinch of salt. Add the walnuts and work until finely ground. Add 2 tablespoons crème fraîche, mixing it in a teaspoon at a time, to form a paste.
• Add the remaining 1/2 cup crème fraîche to the finished soup. To serve, ladle the soup into bowls and top each with a large spoonful of walnut cream, a bit of ground pepper and, if desired, a sprinkle of parsley.

LENTIL SOUP WITH POUNDED WALNUTS AND CREAM

Steps:

• 1. Soak the lentils in water for 2 hours, then drain. 2. Melt the butter in a large pot over low heat. Add the onion and bay leaf. Sauté over medium-high heat until onion is translucent, 5 minutes. Add lentils, stock and 1 teaspoon salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat. Simmer, covered, until lentils are soft, about 30 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. 3. Using a mortar and pestle, pound the garlic with a large pinch of salt. Add the walnuts and work until finely ground. Add 2 tablespoons crème fraîche, mixing it in a teaspoon at a time, to form a paste. 4. Add the remaining ½ cup crème fraîche to the finished soup. To serve, ladle the soup into bowls and top each with a large spoonful of walnut cream, a bit of ground pepper and, if desired, a sprinkle of parsley. Serves 4 to 6. Adapted from "Vegetable Soups," by Deborah Madison.

LENTIL SOUP

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a heavy large pot over medium heat. Add the onion, carrots, and celery. Add the garlic, salt, and pepper and saute until all the vegetables are tender, about 5 to 8 minutes. Add the tomatoes with their juices. Simmer until the juices evaporate a little and the tomatoes break down, stirring occasionally, about 8 minutes. Add the lentils and mix to coat. Add the broth and stir. Add the thyme sprigs. Bring to a boil over high heat. Cover and simmer over low heat until the lentils are almost tender, about 30 minutes.
• Stir in the pasta. Simmer until the pasta is tender but still firm to the bite, about 8 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.
• Ladle the soup into bowls. Sprinkle with the Parmesan, drizzle with olive oil, and serve.

CREAM OF WILD MUSHROOM SOUP WITH LENTIL SPROUTS

Steps:

• Pull off stems from shiitake mushrooms and set aside. Cut off stems of cultivated mushrooms and set aside.
• Cut shiitake caps in half. Cut each half crosswise into very thin slices. There should be about 4 cups.
• Heat 4 tablespoons of the butter in a kettle or casserole and add celery, carrot, leek, 2 tablespoons shallots, onion and the stems of the shiitake and cultivated mushrooms. Cook, stirring, about 5 minutes and sprinkle with flour. Cook, stirring, about 2 minutes and add chicken broth. Bring to the boil and add cream. Let simmer about 20 minutes, stirring often from the bottom.
• Meanwhile, put the cultivated mushroom caps into the container of a food processor or electric blender and sprinkle with lemon juice. Blend thoroughly. There should be about 3 cups.
• Heat 2 tablespoons butter in a skillet and add the remaining 2 tablespoons shallots. Cook briefly, stirring, and add the cultivated mushrooms. Add salt and pepper. Cook, stirring often, over high heat, until mushrooms give up their liquid. Cook, stirring often, until the liquid evaporates. Set aside.
• Line a bowl with a sieve, preferably of the sort known in French kitchens as a chinois. Pour the mushroom and vegetable mixture into the sieve. Press to extract as much liquid as possible from the solids. Pour the soup into a clean kettle or casserole and add the cultivated mushroom mixture.
• Heat the remaining 3 tablespoons butter in a skillet and add the thinly sliced shiitake mushroom pieces. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring often, about 4 minutes and add the sprouted lentils. Cook, tossing and stirring, about 1 minute or until lentils are thoroughly heated. Add the chopped parsley and stir to blend. The lentil mixture may be added to the simmering soup or it may be spooned onto the individual portions of hot soup just before serving. Garnish each serving with more chopped parsley.

CREAM OF LENTIL SOUP

Steps:

• In a large saucepan, combine the 4 cups of broth, lentils, bay leaf and clove. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer until lentils are tender, 25-30 minutes., Meanwhile, in a Dutch oven, saute onion and celery in butter until crisp-tender. Add the carrots, salt, sugar, curry powder and pepper; saute until vegetables are tender, 2-3 minutes longer . Add garlic; cook for 1 minute., Drain lentils; discard broth, bay leaf and clove. Add lentils to vegetable mixture. Stir in the spinach, remaining 2 cups broth, cream, lemon juice and parsley; cook over low heat until heated through and spinach is wilted.

EASY WEEKNIGHT LENTIL SOUP

Steps:

• Place water, lentils, spinach, onion, celery, carrots, garlic, salt, onion powder, pepper, and liquid aminos in a large soup pot. Bring to a rapid boil, then turn down to a simmer. Cover and cook until lentils are done but not mushy, 25 to 30 minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning.

RED LENTIL SOUP

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a saucepan. Add the ginger and heat, stirring, for about a minute. Add the ground cumin and stir another 30 seconds.
• Add the onion and carrots and cook for about 5 minutes over medium heat, stirring frequently.
• Add the lentils and broth. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for about 20 minutes, until the lentils are soft.
• Remove from heat and puree with an immersion blender (or in batches in a blender or food processor). Add salt and pepper to taste, although I usually do not add any.
• Add a squeeze of lemon in each serving, if you wish - I find that it adds a bright note.
• Note: A spoonful of plain yogurt is a nice addition.

SLOW-COOKER CREAMY LENTIL SOUP

Steps:

• Melt butter in medium skillet on medium heat. Add onions; cook 8 min. or until tender, stirring frequently. Add to slow cooker.
• Stir in all remaining ingredients except cream cheese; cover with lid. Cook on LOW 7 to 8 hours (or on HIGH 3 to 4 hours) until lentils are tender.
• Add cream cheese; whisk until cream cheese is completely melted and soup is well blended.