Zuni Lentil Red Pepper Soup Recipe??

[oakjoan]

My husband just returned the Zuni cookbook to the library and I forgot to copy down the lentil soup recipe.

Anybody willing to post?

[AppleSister]

I made this last night with French green lentils and homemade chicken stock, though no parsley, I forgot to get some at the store. It was so good!!! So simple, so easy. I love lentils and I knew it would be good enough to eat, but I was surprised just how good it was. I added some crumbled bacon on top and a dab of Greek yogurt, ate it with a fennel-Asian pear-watercress salad. I'm looking forward to my leftovers lunch!

[oakjoan]

I took the recipe and changed it a little to fit the ingredients I had on hand. First, I only had part of a small red pepper so I added some chopped roasted red and yellow peppers to the mix. I also had only one can of Swanson's chick broth and NO homemade so I (COVER YOUR EYES CHILDREN!!!) used half of a Knorr chicken bouillon cube. I also added a slice of turkey bacon chopped up and gave the soup a few churns with my immersion blender. Served it with sweet batard toasted with olive oil and garlic and sprinkled with pecorino. It was wicked good.

Memo to Carb Lover: Ah shaddap! Who needs the book when one can mooch off one's companions?

[Carb Lover]

I guess that's true; enough hounds own it for you to mooch, pooch.

Glad you liked the soup better than I did. Maybe I'll try it again since it was so easy to make...

[Carb Lover]

Go buy the book already! ;-)

I made this soup a long time ago and was kinda disappointed in it. Sorta plain tasting, like the flavors weren't developed enough. I'm sure that homemade stock would help though. Let us know how you like it...

[oakjoan]

Not too late. Thanks a lot you guys.

[beetlebug]

Here it is (too late of course).

http://www.chowhound.com/topics/35598...

[Rubee]

Here you go!

Lentil-Sweet Red Pepper Soup with Cumin and Black Pepper

She suggests "Beluga" black lentils or dark green French lentils.

Over medium heat, warm 1 TB EVOO and add 1/3-1/2 cup diced sweet red pepper. Saute for about 5 minutes until slightly colored.

Crush the following in a mortar: 1/2 tsp whole black peppercorns and 1/4 tsp cumin seeds and add to peppers. Cook for one minute.

Add
2-3 tb EVOO
1/4 cup each of finely diced carrots, celery, and yellow onion
1-2 smashed and chopped garlic cloves
1 bay leaf
A sprig of chopped parsley with stem
1 cup of lentils
3 cups of chicken stock or water

Bring to simmer, salt, and reduce heat to barely a simmer, uncovered, for about 15 minutes or until lentils have absorbed most of the liquid or are tender. Turn off heat, cover for 5 minutes.

She says you can puree the soup or mash in a mortar, or serve as is. Add more stock or liquid at 1/2 cup increments if needed. Bring to simmer again, salt, and serve.