It's soup time! The first snow has dusted the city and I've pulled my big silver soup pot down from the high shelf.
Soups are the perfect platform for culinary experiments. Try something new with your old soup recipes and if it doesn't work out you can always reverse it by adding more water, acid (lemon juice, vinegar, wine), sugar or spices.
I worked at a very delicious and well loved restaurant where we intentionally burned the onions in the lentil soup ever so slightly because one accidental burn yielded surprising results! So roll up your sleeves, raid the pantry, and join me in welcoming the most forgiving culinary season of the year -- soup season!
Lentil Tarragon Soup
Ingredients
- 4 teaspoons olive oil
- 1 onion, diced
- 3 carrots, peeled and diced
- 3 ribs celery, diced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 teaspoons dried tarragon
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 3 tablespoons tomato paste
- 8 cups mushroom broth
- 2 cups lentils
- 2 bay leaves
- 1/2 cup dry red wine
- 1 bunch fresh parsley
- Salt and pepper to taste
Cooking Directions
- Preheat a large soup pot over medium heat. Add oil and saute the onion, celery and carrots until softened (about 7 minutes).
- Add garlic, tarragon, thyme and paprika. Stir for 2 minutes.
- Add vegetable broth, lentils, half of the parsley and bay leaves. Cover and bring to a boil.
- Once boiling, reduce temperature to low and let simmer (still covered) for 30 minutes or until lentils have softened. Add water as needed.
- Remove from heat. Add wine and salt and pepper to taste. Garnish with freshly chopped parsley and serve with a hunk of fresh bread.