Thursday, January 6, 2011

French Lentil Soup

Lentil Soup is one of the dishes my son Justin says he remembers from childhood. I was happy to hear this is a dish he often cooks now as an adult. I haven't made lentil soup in years. As I think back on it, I think the last time probably was when Justin was still living at home.

When I mentioned to Tim I was going to make lentil soup, I received the look. The look that says, where's the meat? I said it's okay, lentils are a great substitute for meat.

I found this recipe over at Tomatoes on the Vine. Velva has a great blog. If you haven't been there, stop by. You'll find some great recipes and an occasional special cocktail! I love the spice combinations in this soup. Lentils need spice or the soup can be too bland. This is a perfect soup for cold winter day.



French Lentil Rice Soup
Courtesy of Tomatoes on the Vine
Serves 4
Ingredients:
6 cups chicken broth or vegetable broth
1 cup lentils, picked over and rinsed
2 medium carrots, peeled and finely diced
1 small onion, finely chopped
2 celery stalks, finely diced
3 tablespoons uncooked white rice
2 tablespoons minced garlic
1 teaspoon herbs de Provence or dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground white or black pepper
1/4 cup heavy cream or sour cream, divided (optional)
1/4 cup chopped parsley, divided (optional)


Directions:
Stir together broth, lentils, carrots, onion, celery, rice, garlic, herbs de provence, salt and pepper in a slow cooker. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours or on high for 4 to 5 hours.

Remove 1-1/2 cups soup and puree in a food processor or blender until almost smooth. Stir pureed soup back into the slow cooker.

Divide soup evenly among 4 serving bowls, garnishing each with 1 tablespoon cream and 1 tablespoon chopped parsley, if desired.

I am linking this to Foodie Friday at Designs by Gollum and Souper Sunday's at Kahakai Kitchen.

14 comments:

  1. Julie! What nice surprise to see the French Lentil recipe. Thank you for the shout-out, much appreciated.

    I really enjoyed this soup and I am glad that your family did too.

    My husband always wants to know where the meat is too. :-)

    Velva

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  2. It looks awesome, what a delicious looking soup!

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  3. Delicious!! I see you are in Nebraska... I am originally from Nebraska.

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  4. I don't think I have ever tried lentils, but this soup looks great. I love having soup in the winter!

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  5. I may have to try your recipe. Lentil soup is not one of my favorites...

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  6. Yummy! I love to make soups and especially one's in the slow cooker! This soup sounds perfect for a wintery day. And I think I have all of the ingredients righht on hand.
    You have a beautiful blog! What a delightful stop.

    Yvonne

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  7. This really sounds like a wonderful soup for our damp and gray winter days. As it happens, I don't have a great recipe for lentil soup, so your post is really timely. I hope you are having a great day. Blessings...Mary

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  8. Yum, another perfect meal for the cold weather. And it's no secret that I love slow cooker recipes!

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  9. Like you,I haven't made lentil soup in ages. yet we love it. Lentil will be on my list for my next grocery shopping; Your soup sounds and looks great.

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  10. I just bought some more lentils to make soup. Lentil soup is such a great, hearty dish. Thanks for sharing this with Souper Sundays. ;-)

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  11. I love lentil soup and this one sounds so warm and comforting!

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  12. I have never had lentil soup, I'll have to give it a try. Thanks for sharing with Fat Camp Friday, hope to see you back again next week with another great recipe! http://mangoesandchutney.com

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  13. Hi Julie, I am trying to catch up with my foodie friends. Most days, the computer gives me a hard time and I have been mostly spending the time on my blogs.

    You have some good soups here. I have not made lentil soup and this would be a good surprise for hubby. He has almost every soup possible or it feels that way. Lentil would be a first.

    I would love it if you would link it to Let's Do Brunch.

    http://sweetsav.blogspot.com/2011/01/lets-do-brunch-11.html

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