Egyptian Red Lentil Soup

Time to start breaking out the grains and legumes as the weather goes back and forth from summer to fall. Today I decide upon a recipe involving red lentils. Red lentils appear more red-orange than red and have high levels of protein. This recipe is adapted from the Moosewood Restaurant Daily Special Cookbook with only a few minor changes. Adding the fresh lemon juice and cilantro before serving elevated this soup to a new level. Very Delicious...

Ingredients:

5 cups chicken stock
1 cup dried red lentils
2 cups chopped onions
2 cups chopped yukon gold potatoes
6 large garlic cloves
1 tablespoon canola or other vegetable oil
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
salt and pepper to taste

Preparation:

Saute onion until soft about 10 min, combine the chicken stock, lentils, potatoes and garlic together, bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer until everything is tender, 15 to 20 minutes. Remove from heat. In a small saucepan on low heat, warm the oil until hot but not smoking. Add the cumin, turmeric and salt and cook stirring constantly; for 2 to 3 minutes, until cumin is fragrant. Set aside for a moment to let oil mixture cool so that it does not splatter when added to soup. Cook another 5 to 10 minutes, then add lemon juice and cilantro. Let sit another 5 minutes. Serve.