Ingredients
- 1 1/2 pounds carrots
- 1 1/2 pounds yellow onions
- 4 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 1/2 teaspoons sea salt, plus more to taste
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 1 cup French green lentils
- 4 cups basic light vegetable broth, or 3 cups canned vegetable broth diluted with 1 cup water
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh mint, or 1 1/2 teaspoons dried mint
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 2 teaspoons harissa (recipe follows)
- Feta cheese, for garnish
- Fruity green olive oil
Preparation
Step 1
Preheat the oven to 375°.
Cut the carrots and onions into fairly large pieces, about 1 inch long for the carrots and 1/2-inch wedges for the onions. Toss the carrots in a bowl with a tablespoon of oil and a sprinkle of salt and pepper, and spread them on a baking sheet. Do the same with the onions. Roast the vegetables for about an hour, or until they are soft and browned, stirring and turning them a few times during the roasting. The onions will need more stirring and will be done sooner than the carrots. When the vegetables are ready, let them cool a little, then turn them out on a board and chop them very coarsely.
Meanwhile, combine the washed green lentils in a large soup pot with 4 cups (1 liter) water and a teaspoon of salt. Bring the water to a boil, turn down the heat, and simmer, covered, for 25 minutes, or until the lentils are tender but still firm. Add the chopped roasted vegetables, vegetable broth, mint, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, and harissa to taste.
Simmer the soup for about 10 minutes to marry the flavors, then taste, and correct the seasoning with more salt and pepper or a little more lemon juice as needed. Add a bit more broth, as needed. Remove the soup from the heat, stir in 2 tablespoons of fruity green olive oil, and serve. Garnish each bowl with a few more drops of olive oil and feta cheese.