Lemony Red Lentil Soup with Fried Shallots

By MelanieAnn

Ingredients

• 2 Tablespoons olive oil
• 1 yellow onion, chopped
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
• Pinch of red pepper flakes
• 1 cup split red lentils, picked over and rinsed
• 1 carrot, peeled and finely chopped
• 1 tomato, peeled, seeded and chopped
• 4 cups vegetable broth
• Salt and freshly ground pepper
• Juice of 1/2 lemon plus 1 lemon cut into 4 wedges
• Fried shallots

Details

Servings 4

Preparation

Step 1

In a large heavy pot, warm the oil over medium-high heat. Add the onions and saute until soft, about 5 minutes. Add the cumin, coriander and red pepper flakes and cook, stirring until the spices are fragrant, about 30 seconds.

Add the lentils, carrot, tomato and broth. Season with 1 teaspoon salt and a few grinds of pepper. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to medium, cover, and simmer until the lentils fall apart and the carrots are soft, about 40 minutes. Remove from the heaqt and let cool slightly.

Working in batches, puree the soup in a blender. Return to the pot, add the lemon juice and warm through over medium heat, stirring occasionally.

Serve garnished with the fried shallots and accompanied with lemon wedges.

FRIED SHALLOTS

To make the fried shallots, stir togeter 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Add 2 sliced shallots and toss to coat. Heat 1/2 cup oil in a saucepan over medium-high heat until very hot. Shake off any excess flour from the shallots and fry until golden brown, 4 minutes. Drain on a paper towel and season with salt.