Lentil, Crushed Soup, Gail Zimmerman

By seamline

from the Christmas gathering 2015

This is based on a recipe Brenda gave me many years ago that came from one of her preschool moms. I ALWAYS double the recipe and have lots to freeze ... freezes great! I am typing this as a double recipe like I made it last night. Enjoy!!

Ingredients

• 3-4 Tbsp. olive oil (I use 4)
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 large (or three medium) onions, chopped
• 2 cups chopped celery
• 8 chopped or sliced carrots
• 14 cups water (I use filtered water from my refrigerator)
• 4 cups red lentils (2 packages of red lentils from Trader Joe), rinsed and drained
• juice from 1 to 1 1/2 lemons (depending on size)
• 3/4 of a package of organic baby spinach from Costco (in the back room), chopped (I put in the food processor ... a lot easier)
• 2 Tbsp. ground cumin (Brenda's recipe called for curry if you prefer that spice)

Preparation

Step 1

In a skillet, saute garlic in olive oil until golden. Add onions, celery and carrots, and saute until onions and and celery are translucent.

Bring a big pot (I use a 9-quart; if you don't have that, use a 12-quart) of water to a boil. Rinse and drain the lentils in a colander. Add to boiling water, and boil the lentils, stirring, until they start to pop and soften (I skim the foam off the top of the water). Add the sautéed vegetables to the pot, and simmer for 30-40 minutes uncovered, stirring occasionally.

Then stir in lemon juice, spinach and cumin. If desired, use an immersion blender (I do) to bring to desired consistency.