The First Recipe of 2016 is a Hearty One: COTR Lentil Soup

As 2015 came to an end, it was inevitable that Friends’ president Vikki Proctor would clean out her refrigerator and turn the results into a delicious dish. She has shared the ingredients she unearthed and the general method with which she produced the soup above. As always, she leaves some details to your imagination and experience. Here’s what she did:

COTR Lentil Soup

 

Saute some aromatics

Add ONIONS, CELERY and CARROTS to a pan with a bit of oil. Saute until the onions are a bit transparent.

Add the good stuff

Add TOMATOES, MINCED GARLIC and 1 CUP OF LENTILS. Vikki’s tomatoes came from the market in September, when she roasted and froze them. If you weren’t that forward-thinking, use the best you can find–canned are fine, since January tomatoes are generally far from the peak of flavor. She cooks these for a minute or two, just to wake up the garlic.

Get it all wet

Add a QUART of VEGETABLE BROTH. Sometimes Vikki makes her own. If there’s none on hand, she’s partial to 365 brand. She brings it to a simmer, and cooks until the lentils are soft and tasty.

Season the soup

Vikki uses CUMIN and TURMERIC. Of course, there’s also SALT and PEPPER. Use a gentle hand, and taste, taste, taste!

Finishing touches

For presenting the soup, Vikki tweaks with a splash of BALSAMIC VINEGAR and then garnishes with (choose one) CREME FRAICHE, SOUR CREAM or GREEK YOGURT. The final fillip is a sprinkle of fresh herbs.