Seeking Great Lentil Soup Recipe

Do you have any left? If so get some of the soup you like and heat a little of the one you made. Taste them side by side and see if you can figure out the difference. Sometimes when you taste one and then the other you can figure out which seasoning you may have missed or didn't add enough or too much. Then adjust your receipe.

This is mine, and can be done either vegetarian, or with chicken stock/chicken breast.

1 tbs Extra Virgin Olive Oil

2 small carrots, thinly sliced

2 large stalks of celery, thinly sliced

1 large onion, sliced

2 cloves of garlic, minced

1/4 tsp ginger

1/4 tsp cumin

1 tsp curry

3/4 tsp salt

2 cups of red lentils, rinsed

8 cups of broth or water

Heat EVOO over medium in large pot. Add carrots, celery, onion & garlic & spices and cook (covered) for 15 min, or until softened. Raise heat to high and add rinsed and drained lentils and broth (or water) and bring to a boil. [If adding chicken breast, add the chicken breast at this stage.] Reduce heat to simmer and cook partially covered for 30 minutes. Remove from heat and puree soup in food processor. [If using chicken breast, remove it from the soup prior to processing the soup. Shred it on a cutting board, and return it to the pot. Can either process it or eat as is.] Serve.

Can add juice from 1/2 a lemon (optional)

Garnish with paprika (optional)

I accidentally made lentil soup by having too much water, and it was so good. (It ended up being a "just add water" soup at reheating time.) I seasoned and cooked them like I do my beans and added carrot and garbanzo beans. There was no meat product.

Not sure where you get your stock, but I refuse to buy it. I make my own, and the flavor and consistency are so much better than what you can buy in a store. In my potato soup (which is fantabulous, by the way), I use turkey stock. That flavor might also do something for your lentils.

Somebody posted a lentil soup recipe not too long ago called "Ugly Soup". I tried it, and I have to say, it was ugly, but very, very tasty. I'll see if I can find it on here...can't remember who posted it...

Found it--it's Riley J's recipe from Nov 17, 2012. I searched lentil soup 2012 and the question came up. It's the "Western" lentil soup recipe. I'm sure the others are yummy, but I can vouch for this one. : ) I also like Ina Garten's lentil soup (Barefoot Contessa cookbook). She uses green lentils--I have done it with black lentils as well. Tasty.

I've made this one twice now and it's so good!

Lentil & Ham or Lentil & Sausage Soup

1 cup dried lentils, washed
32 ounces chicken broth
Diced onions
Diced green bell pepper
Sliced carrots
Chopped celery
Garlic or garlic powder
Bay leaf (1)
Italian seasoning
Salt & Pepper
1 small can tomato sauce
1 can diced tomatoes
Ham steak (bone-in) or smoked sausage

Add all ingredients to the crock pot, cook on low for at least 8 hours. Serve with hot corn bread.