The Many Lives Of Roberto A Soup
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For the past month or so, ten or twenty times a day, Ill get a little alert on my phone from Instagram, telling me that Ive been mentioned in someones Story. In the three and a half years since Instagram introduced the Stories featurea vehicle for candid snapshots and absurdist memes, all of which automatically delete after twenty-four hoursIve come to love it with a surprising intensity. All social media is performance, but the performance that happens inside Instagram Stories is in situ, its mumblecore, its social-media vérité: the room is messy, the face is blemished, the horizon line isnt perfectly horizontal. Instagrams main feed is full of images so slick that theyre indistinguishable from ads, but the text and image tools in Stories are blocky and inelegant. Its a perfect medium for recording the insipid mundanities of daily life, which is to say, its the perfect medium for recording what youre having for dinner. This is why, for the most part, I keep getting tagged in other peoples stories: theyre making Roberto.
Red Curry Lentils With Sweet Potatoes And Spinach
In this vegetarian main inspired by Indian dal, lentils are cooked with an aromatic blend of Thai spices – fresh ginger, turmeric, red curry paste and chile – then simmered in coconut milk until fall-apart tender. Browning the sweet potatoes before cooking them with the lentils brings out their sweetness, balancing the heat from the chile and curry paste, while baby spinach tossed in just before serving adds fresh flavor. Serve over steamed white or brown rice, or with toasted flatbread on the side.
Provided by Lidey Heuck
Yield 4 to 6 servings
Number Of Ingredients 16
| 1 pound sweet potatoes , peeled and cut into 3/4-inch cubes |
| 1 medium yellow onion, chopped |
| 3 tablespoons Thai red curry paste |
| 3 garlic cloves, minced |
| 1 piece fresh ginger, peeled and grated |
| 1 red chile, such as Fresno or serrano, halved, seeds and ribs removed, then minced |
| 1 teaspoon ground turmeric |
| 1 cup red lentils, rinsed |
| 4 cups low-sodium vegetable stock |
| 2 teaspoons kosher salt, plus more to taste |
| 1 can full-fat coconut milk |
| 1 bag baby spinach |
| 1/2 lime, juiced |
| Fresh cilantro leaves, for serving |
| Toasted unsweetened coconut flakes, for serving |
Steps:
Five Ways To Love Lentils
Chefs, food writers and nutritionists often sing the praises of lentils. But for those of us who didnt grow up eating lentils, cooking with the small, flat seeds can seem like a challenge.
But this week, Martha Rose Shulman makes it easier, featuring five new ways to cook with lentils.
I still love any type of lentil green, brown or black but I especially like the way green lentils hold their shape when cooked. They taste like other lentils, and theyre really more brown than green after cooking. But the texture makes them wonderful, particularly in salads.
Recently I bought a 1 1/2-pound bag of green French-style lentils , which has just been sitting on my pantry shelf. So this week I put together a couple of new lentil salads, one with tuna and one with a walnut oil dressing, and couldnt get enough of either one. And I heard not a word of protest from my son this week not over the tuna salad, which we ate for days, nor over the lentil soups and stews we had for dinner for more than a week.
Lentil and Escarole Soup: The combination of legumes and bitter greens like escarole is common in southern Italy.
Recommended Reading: Beefy Lipton Onion Soup Mix
This Soup Deserves An Award
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Hi, and welcome to Five Weeknight Dishes, recipes for busy people who still want something good to eat. So Melissa Clark, one of our weeknight-cooking queens, has a new recipe in her column this week for lentil soup. And look, it sounds great. Her recipes are great! But I didnt want to let this moment pass without paying tribute to an old friend: Melissas red lentil soup, which deserves a Lifetime Achievement Award for its tireless work converting people into lentil-soup lovers. I made it over the weekend and was reminded of how wonderful it is, especially if you let it sit in the fridge for a day.
More on this below. And, as always, send me your feedback, ideas and kitchen dilemmas at .
Here are five recipes for the week:
1. Weeknight Lemon Chicken Breasts With Herbs
This recipe was made for us, our little weeknight tribe. Its one of those delightfully easy deals where you could set up the chicken in the marinade in the morning, or do it as soon as you walk in the door in the evening, about an hour before its time to get serious about dinner. Im not really a morning person, so you know what Ill be doing. Serve with parsleyed noodles and stovetop-braised carrots or some string beans.
A Delicious Lineup Of Ingredients In This Italian Black Lentil Soup
In addition to black lentils, there are lots of other flavorful ingredients in this delicious Italian Black Lentil Soup. The recipe starts with a pound of Italian sausage which is browned until golden then drained and set aside. A bit of the sausage drippings is reserved for sautéing onion, garlic and Italian seasoning. Next comes a nice splash of white wine which is reduced to enhance the flavor. All remaining ingredients, chicken broth, crushed roasted red peppers, Italian tomatoes, bay leaves and kosher salt are added and the soup is simmered until fragrant and delicious.
There are a few fun finishing touches for this soup. It might sound strange but a tablespoon of red wine vinegar adds a touch of brightness and a generous handful of fresh basil brings lots of vibrant flavor. Finish off this delicious Italian Black Lentil soup with a sprinkle of shaved parmesan and a bit of additional fresh basil. Favoloso!
Also Check: Campbells Chicken And Rice Soup Recipe
This Lentil Soup Is So Good One Nurse Has Eaten It For Lunch Every Workday For 17 Years
Can you imagine eating the same lentil soup at your desk for lunch virtually every workday for almost two decades?
I couldnt, at least not until I talked to Reid Branson, a Seattle nurse manager who has been doing just that. The soup is from Crescent Dragonwagons 1992 book Dairy Hollow House Soup & Bread, and Branson fell so in love with it that it changed his lunch routine for the rest of his professional life.
Bransons schedule is fairly unpredictable, as you might imagine: He supervises the nursing staff at the HIV clinic of a public hospital, Harborview Medical Center, where he and others have been plenty busy lately keeping on top of developments in the coronavirus outbreak. The one thing he can depend on, day in and day out, is this bright, rich and fragrant Greek lentil and spinach soup. Its hearty and thick, with lentils as the base, bulked up by potatoes and butternut squash, and a flavor enlivened by a heavy dose of aromatic spices plus a pop of fresh lemon juice.
Im a vegetarian, and getting a reliable source of protein every day at lunch is important to me, Branson, 63, told me in a phone interview. Plus, its fun to make. Its got a rhythm to it. And at this point, I can do it without looking at the recipe.
Scale and get a printer-friendly version of the recipe here.
Where Do You Find Black Lentils
Not every store carries black lentils. I’ve found them packaged at Whole Foods and also in their bulk bins. Several other stores in my area carry them. You can also find black lentils online. If they’re not available in your area, you can substitute green or French lentils , which hold their shape better than the brown or red varieties.
Read Also: Potato Soup With Frozen Hash Browns
A Lentil Soup To Make You Stop Taste And Savor
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FOR years it seemed that everyone I knew had a special lentil soup recipe, one that sustained them and kept them warm all winter long. I had flirted with countless incarnations, and most tasted reasonably good. They were brawny, solid and predictable. I liked them in varying degrees, but never quite enough to take home to my soup pot. Until recently, when I fell head over heels. Could this be the one?
It was so unexpected. At a friends dinner party this fall, white espresso cups filled with a steaming liquid were passed around as hors doeuvres. Deep in conversation, I took an absent-minded sip that instantly dazzled, yet mystified me. A gorgeous soup, it was warming and hearty, and possessed a velvety texture that recalled some kind of puréed legume. But it had a zesty, spicy flavor that was more ethereal and sunny than any earthbound, wintry bean.
Its nothing, just a little lentil soup, said my hostess nonchalantly when I cornered her in the kitchen to grill her.
Lentil? It didnt taste like lentils. And with its muted golden color, it didnt look like them either.
Red lentils, Sweetie, with chili and a little lemon Ill e-mail you tomorrow with the recipe, she promised.
The e-mail appeared. I wasnt coy I had already pulled out the soup pot.
As determined as I was to make the soup, I was equally determined not to leave the house. It was cold and rainy, and there was only so much I was willing to sacrifice for a nascent crush.
Lentils In Salads Pilafs And Pies
Recipes for Health
Even people who swear they dont abide beans find pleasure in the distinctive, profound flavor of lentils. Lentil broth is as comfortable with Mediterranean seasonings from every corner of the Mediterranean basin as it is with Indian or even Mexican spices. Lentils are at home in a salad, a soup, a stew, a dal and a pilaf. They work well with meat, particularly cured pork products, and vegetables equally, and they are also wonderful alongside a piece of salmon. This is one legume you should always have in your larder.
I consider lentils a convenience food, so quickly do they cook. If you are using lentils for a salad and want them a little bit on the al dente side they can be done in 20 minutes, though I usually let them go for 25 just to be sure that all of them cook through. For stews and soups, 40 to 45 minutes will suffice. Lentils never need to be soaked and for those of you who are sensitive to beans, you will be happy to hear that they dont contain sulfur, the gas-creating compound present in most beans.
I used brown lentils for most of my recipe tests this week, though the salads are also good perhaps even better because the lentils tend to be firmer with green or black lentils. The flavors of all three are similar enough to make them interchangeable in most recipes, but brown lentils are usually less expensive.
Don’t Miss: Pot Roast Recipe Onion Soup Mix
Recipe: Red Lentil Soup With Lemon
This recipe appeared in the NY Times this past Wednesday. Made it with a little less garlic and used cayneene instead of chili powder and served as a side to panini’s .
It was nice and light and good out of the pot, the lemon and cilantro make it outstanding. I suspect it would be just as good with basil instead of cilantro.
This makes enough for 4 people as a side, so double the recipe if making for main dish or to feed more people.
Red Lentil Soup With LemonTime: 45 minutes
3 tablespoons olive oil, more for drizzling1 large onion, chopped1/4 teaspoon kosher salt, more to taste1/4 teaspoon ground black pepperPinch of ground chili powder or cayenne, more to taste
1 quart chicken or vegetable broth1 cup red lentils1 large carrot, peeled and diced
Juice of 1/2 lemon, more to taste3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro.
3. Add broth, 2 cups water, lentils and carrot. Bring to a simmer, then partially cover pot and turn heat to medium-low. Simmer until lentils are soft, about 30 minutes. Taste and add salt if necessary.
5. Reheat soup if necessary, then stir in lemon juice and cilantro. Serve soup drizzled with good olive oil and dusted lightly with chili powder if desired.
Yield: 4 servings.
Red Lentil Soup With Lemon Courtesy Of Nyt Cooking
I am re-posting this with pictures. Today seemed like a great day for a vegetarian dinner. The leaves on the trees are changing and it just feels like autumn. This soup has a plethora of healthy vegetables and some lentils for protein. I am pairing this soup with Broccoli Cheese Spaghetti Squash, which is posted separately.
Recommended Reading: Campbell Soup Sloppy Joe Recipe
Caf Tips For Making This Italian Black Lentil Soup
If you enjoyed this recipe, please come back and leave a star rating and review! Its so helpful to other readers to hear others results and ideas for variations.
If you love hearty soups like this one, you’ll also enjoy this Homemade Chicken Pasta Soup. It’s super popular with so many of our readers!
This Lentil Soup Cant Get Much Easier
Served plain and simple or garnished to the hilt, this velvety recipe may just remind you how deeply satisfying brown lentils can be.
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Once I fell in love with a lentil soup, and it was all I could think about when pulses came to mind. Lemony and tangy, it was the antidote to the bleakest winter days, and the color of sunshine to match its bright disposition.
Eventually, though, the obsession waned, and I remembered how deeply satisfying brown lentils could be. They can also be easier to find than red lentils.
Earthy and hearty, brown lentils keep their shape when gently simmered, which makes for a richly textured soup. And when puréed, they turn soft, plush and wonderfully smooth.
In this recipe, Ive kept things minimal and straightforward. Youll only need to chop one onion, sautéing it until well browned at the edges to maximize its sweetness. Youll also have to grate some garlic, to be stirred in at the end for a pungent pop. But thats it for the prep work.
Because the soup itself is so simple, using a good, intensely flavored broth is important. But even a bouillon cube will do in a pinch. Just dont use water, which wont provide any flavor to stand up to the lentils.
Also Check: Lipton Onion Soup Pot Roast
Our 17 Coziest Vegetarian Soups
These heartening recipes are here to convince you that comfort is best served by the spoonful.
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For dreary days and weary souls, there is soup. Whether youre stirred by brothy or blended varieties, those that lean creamy and rich or light and verdant, the perfect soup is out there for you. Find your match in at least one of the vegetarian recipes below.
Sue Li describes this brothy number as the perfect salve for cold winter days, and her recipe comes together in just 20 minutes. The noodles and poached egg add richness, and the soup builds flavor from greens, mushrooms, soy sauce and sesame oil. The broth alone is capable of instantly lifting spirits.
You can always count on Melissa Clark for comfort and her upgraded potato soup delivers. She describes it as if cheesy mashed potatoes became a cozy soup. It may not have the shortest ingredient list, but itll still delight, however you interpret it. According to one reader: I didnt bother to peel the potatoes, I forgot the lime and jalapeños, and I probably used the wrong kind of potato. And it was still the most delicious soup Ive ever made. In Melissa we trust!
Food Photography: How To Shoot Soup
Andrew Scrivani is a freelance photographer who contributes to The New York Times. He writes the blog Making Sunday Sauce.
When I responded to Kim from Arkansas for my last post it became apparent to me that her question required a much more detailed answer. Kim asked how I photograph soups, and I gave a brief suggestion about using side lighting. But there is so much more to consider.
Soups have personality. They have so many different complexions that there is no one perfect way to shoot them. I would like to consider three different scenarios here: the Beautiful Soup, the Monochromatic Soup and the Brothy Soup.
The beautiful soup can be deceiving. Sometimes a soup that is chock full of lovely ingredients looks amazing to the eye but seems terribly flawed in front of the camera. The reason is that often there is too much to focus on and the image can get confusing. My approach to this is very careful styling and trying to create a distinct focal point though lighting and the focus of the camera. This bowl of lentil tomato soup was meticulously arranged and shot maybe 40 or 50 times to find the exact angle, even after I was satisfied with the lighting. My goal was to have the viewers eye train to the light source. See the way the beans created a texture, like a cobblestone walkway in the bowl? There is lot going on here, but I really wanted that detail to be the focus of the image.
The simple oil drizzle in this blended potato soup gave it texture.
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