CORIANDER-ORANGE-SCENTED RED LENTIL SOUP
- 1 small bunch (1-inch-diameter bouquet at stems) fresh coriander
- Extra-virgin olive oil
- 3 medium onions, chopped into ¼-inch dice
- Salt and fresh-ground black pepper
- 4 large garlic cloves, fine chopped
- One ½-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and chopped
- 2 teaspoons ground coriander seed
- Zest and juice of 1 medium orange
- One 14-ounce can vegetable or chicken broth
- 2½ cups water
- ¾ cup red lentils, rinsed and sorted
- Juice of ½ to 1 lemon
- â…” to 1 cup additional fresh orange juice
Instructions:
Light and fragrant with two kinds of coriander (ground and fresh), this soup’s citrus finish is a modern take on a very old
idea.
- Wash and dry the bunch of coriander. Cut off the bottom 2 to 3 inches of the stems and chop them fine. Set them aside. Coarse-chop half of the remaining coriander leaves, refrigerating the rest for another dish.
- Generously film the bottom of a 4-quart saucepan with olive oil and heat it over high heat. Stir in twothirds of the onions, and season with salt and pepper. Sauté until the onions begin to brown. Blend in the coriander stems, garlic, ginger, ground coriander seed, and the orange zest. Sauté for about 20 seconds over high heat, or until fragrant. Scrape into a bowl and set aside.
- Pour the broth, water, lentils, and remaining onions into the same saucepan. Bring to a gentle bubble, partially cover, and simmer for 7 to 10 minutes, or until the lentils are nearly tender. Add the sautéed seasonings and additional salt and pepper to taste. Cover the pot tightly and simmer for another 15 minutes to blend the flavors. (At this point the soup could be refrigerated for up to 3 days, or frozen, and reheated.)
- Just before serving, stir in the juice from half a lemon, the juice of the zested orange, and the additional lemon, the juice of the zested orange, and the additional orange juice to taste, starting with ⅔ cup. You will probably want almost the entire cup of additional orange juice, but trust your own taste. Then sample the soup for salt, pepper, and lemon juice, and adjust them as needed.
- Scatter the coriander tops over the soup, and ladle it into deep bowls.