"Fertile Crescent" Red Lentil Soup

Last night I utilized both of my top hobbies – cooking and drawing on people with henna – for a party that was a fundraiser for my church. Several people asked for the soup recipe, and since I haven't blogged for two months, it seemed a great time to get back on the wagon! (The lapse is due to buying a house and moving, but who needs excuses to slack off?)

Put in a large pot and bring to a boil:

2 cups small dry red lentils

8 cups water

2 cups chopped yellow onion

6 minced garlic cloves

2 tsp. freshly ground cumin seed

2 tsp. freshly ground coriander seed

Cook until the lentils are mush and breaking down, about 30 minutes depending on size. Let it cool a bit, then puree at least half of the soup (I use an immersion blender, you really need to get one – see my post for Tunisian Pumpkin Soup). Add more water as necessary to get a good consistency, you want it to be soupy, not gloopy. Return to low heat, and add:

3 cups chopped fresh spinach

1 cup white wine

2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. black pepper

Cook for ten minutes, until spinach is turning dark, and then add:

2 tablespoons lemon juice

1 cup chopped cilantro

Stir, and adjust salt and pepper to taste! Enjoy!

p.s. I'll post the recipe for the pictured baba ganoush next :-)