Turkish Lentil Soup

I love making soups from scratch, especially in the winter. However, just like everything else I make, I always struggle to follow the recipe because I end up adding more veggies! For my own soup, I added carrots, peas, and kale stems from another leftover recipe. I also doubled the amount of balsamic vinegar and used freshly grated ginger. Yum!


Served at Cyber Dogs on Pike St (From the Veg-Feasting Cookbook)

Serves 8.

2 teaspoons olive oil
1 cup onions, chopped
4 large cloves garlic, minced
3/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
2 large bay leaves
1 1/2 cups brown lentils
8 cups water
1 1/2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
Salt and pepper to taste

Heat the oil in a medium stockpot over medium heat, add the onions and garlic and saute until they are translucent, 5 to 10 minutes. Add the cumin, cinnamon, ginger, and bay leaves and saute for a couple of minutes. Add the lentils, vinegar and water, bring to a boil, and cook until the lentils are soft, about 45 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Garnish with cilantro and serve.

*Soy-free, gluten-free