Lentil Soup With Cilantro and a Fabulous Tabouleh

Another one by Martha Shulman from the NYT - healthy and delicious!  I served it in a pasta dish as it almost had the consistency of daal.  I might add a bit more water before serving next time.  I added a bit of extra cumin and as I didn't have cayenne, I used paprika instead.  I wish I had made more....  I served this alongside a wonderful tabouleh that I found in Mark Bittman's book: How to cook everything.  The tabouleh was made with bulgar wheat, a diced small red onion, 1-2 cups of chopped parsley and the same of mint, about 1/3 - 1/2 cup of olive oil and about 3/4 of the juice of a lemon.  Also my FAVORITE spice - Turkish paprika / chili flakes and salt.



This easy lentil soup is seasoned with cumin and an entire bunch of chopped cilantro, stirred in just before serving.
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
1. 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.
2. 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.
3. 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.
Yield: Serves four.
Advance preparation: The soup can be made through step 2 up to a day ahead of time. You may need to thin it out with a little water.