LENTIL SOUP WITH CILANTRO (LOTS OF IT)

Lentil Soup With Cilantro (Lots of It) image

This easy lentil soup is seasoned with cumin and an entire bunch of chopped cilantro, stirred in just before serving.

Provided by Martha Rose Shulman

Categories dinner, soups and stews, main course

Time 1h

Yield Serves four

Number Of Ingredients 12

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Ingredients

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/4 teaspoons cumin seeds, lightly toasted and ground
Pinch of cayenne
1/2 pound brown lentils (about 1 1/8 cups), picked over and rinsed
1 small onion, cut in half
1 bay leaf
1 1/2 quarts water
Salt, preferably kosher salt, to taste
Freshly ground pepper
1 cup chopped cilantro (from 1 large bunch)
Plain low-fat yogurt for garnish

Steps:

Heat the oil in a large, heavy soup pot over medium heat, and add the garlic. Stir until fragrant, about a minute, and stir in the cumin and cayenne. Add the lentils, onion, bay leaf, water and salt. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer 40 minutes, until the lentils are tender and the broth aromatic. Add pepper, taste and adjust salt. Remove the halved onion and the bay leaf.
Coarsely puree the soup in an immersion blender or food mill. Alternatively, puree half the soup in blender, 1 1/2 cups at time, being careful to cover the top of the blender with a towel to avoid hot splashes, then stir back into the soup. Heat through.
Chop the cilantro, discarding the stems. Stir into the soup just before serving. Taste, adjust seasoning and serve, topping each bowl with a dollop of yogurt.

Nutrition Facts : @context http, Calories 237, UnsaturatedFat 3 grams, Carbohydrate 38 grams, Fat 4 grams, Fiber 7 grams, Protein 14 grams, SaturatedFat 1 gram, Sodium 1017 milligrams, Sugar 2 grams