Sunday Soups--Red Lentil, Parsnip, and Meyer Lemon

There are two things I rarely do when it comes to cooking: follow a recipe (especially one of my own) and make the same thing twice. I'm a improvisational cook and generally end up whipping things together with whatever I've got around.

This said, the one recipe I always follow to the letter is my Red Lentil Soup (from a column that I wrote a few years back for the Times). It’s a soup that fits my tastes perfectly - full of heady flavor, smooth, velvety, spiced with cumin and lemon. Almost every time I make it, I look up my recipe and then I follow it.

Except, you know, when I don't. As in, last Sunday. I planned to make my red lentil soup, but then, at the last minute, decided to change to accommodate some wilty parsnips that really needed a home. So I added them to the soup in place of the carrot.

Though they lacked the pleasing color that the carrots lent to the soup, the parsnips did contribute a lovely, nutty sweetness. And since Meyer lemon season is in full swing (and when it is, I almost always have some on hand), I stirred in some bright but mellow juice right before serving.

Red lentils cook up so quickly (since they’re without a husk), but because of this they also don’t tend to hold their shape very well. Which makes them an ideal candidate for pureeing. Parsnips too love a good turn through the blender.

As a final garnish, I often sprinkle my lentil soup with some chili for a prickly heat, but a pinch of good sweet or smoky paprika is delicious too. On this particular night, I floated a big, home-made crouton in everyone’s bowl for a crunchy contrast. Humans have been eating lentils for a very, very long time and it’s no wonder—they’re easy to store, easy to cook, and super satisfying.

Red Lentil, Parsnip, and Meyer Lemon Soup

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more to taste
1 yellow onion, diced
2 fat garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, more to taste
3 small parsnips, peeled and diced
2 celery stalks, sliced
1 cup red lentils
1 quart stock - any kind. I used turkey
2 cups water
Juice from 1/2 Meyer lemon, plus more to taste
1/4 cup chopped cilantro, plus sprigs for garnish
ground chili, cayenne, or paprika to taste

1. In a large pot over medium-high heat, warm olive oil. Add onions and sauté until translucent, five minutes. Stir in garlic and continue cooking another two minutes. Stir in tomato paste, ground cumin, and kosher salt and continue cooking until tomato paste begins to brown, another two minutes.
2. Add parsnips, celery, and lentils then stir in stock and water and bring to a simmer. Cover pot, reduce heat to low, and cook until lentils are tender, about 30 minutes.
3. With an immersion blender, puree soup until smooth (or to desired consistency, chunky is nice too). Alternatively, puree soup in a blender or food processor, working in batches.
4. Stir in juice of 1/2 Meyer lemon, and adjust seasoning to taste, adding more lemon if desired. Stir in cilantro.
5. Ladle soup into individual bowls and finish each with a generous drizzle of olive oil, a few sprigs of cilantro, and a sprinkle of salt and chili or paprika.

Comments

[Lynn]

I've made two of your lentil soups in the last week or so and have loved them both. They will be regulars around here. THANKS!

[oil of lemon]

Think I'll try this recipe! It's amazing! I love this! Thank for sharing.

[ileana]

I've had some red lentils sitting in my pantry for too long. This sounds great! Thank you.

[Tina]

Love your other red lentil soup. This one is going on my must try list too!

[Recipe Lover]

Thanks... I love lentil soups. You can find the recipe of Red Lentil Soup here : http://www.hotfoodrecipe.com/Curried-Red-Lentil-Soup_39097.htm

[Karen]

I love your red lentil soup and make it all the time. Since I'm also an improvisational cook, I've tinkered a bit, and now add smoked paprika and ground chipotle pepper with the cumin and some sun dried tomatoes to the pot, and puree it all up. I'm looking forward to trying it with parsnips.

[Juice]

I have always loved lentil soup. I'm going to give this recipe a try this weekend!

[randi]

i love this blog. i want to make this soup tonight but only have about half a cup of red lentils. can i combine red and yellow lentils or do they have vastly different cooking times? thanks

[Jason Tony]

Red lentil soup is very delicious and my favorite. I often used to eat it because it's good for health as well. Good to know you also like red lentil soup. Thanks

[Maria]

Melissa, Sorry to be off-topic, but I was looking through your archives recently, and there was a recipe in which you removed the skins from tomatoes. You commented that you could save the skins for another use though you didn't know what it would be. Well, how about tomato skin powder? After reading about it on this blog last summer, http://www.cheapvegetablegardener.com/2011/09/how-to-make-tomato-peel-powder.html, I made some, and I'm surprised how often it comes in handy. Use it anywhere you want tomato flavor, but not liquid.

[amy@currylime]

What a lovely soup for a cold, gray day!!

[Melissa]

Hi Randi - did you mix the lentils? that would have been fine! The cooking time varies a little but not that much so I think it would work

Maria - thank you! Will try this in tomato season and really appreciate the link