My Lentil Soup

I love lentils. Red or brown I just love them. This recipe is great because the cumin really lessens the unpleasant side effects of lentils (you know the gas and such).

2 cups of dried red lentils, rinsed and drained

1 large brown onion, diced

2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and diced

4 Tbsp. tomato paste

2 cubes of vegetable broth

1 Tbsp olive oil

2 Tbsp ground cumin

juice of 1 lemon

Salt & pepper to taste

Chopped parsley or coriander to garnish

1. Place the oil in a pan, add the onion and saute until tender.

2. Add the lentils, potatoes, vegetable stock, tomato paste and cumin. Add enough water to cover everything. Bring to the boil. Turn down the flame and let the mixture simmer until the potatoes and the lentils are tender. This should take around 30-40 minutes depending on the type of the lentils. But keep checking the mixture as the lentils drink up a lot of water so keep adding along the way. You don't want to end up with a dry mixture. This is a soup after all.

3. After the lentils are tender, remove the pot from the heat and allow to cool for 10 minutes.

4. In a food processor, blend the contents of the pot until fine and creamy. Return to the pot and heat through. Add salt and pepper to taste.

5. Serve garnished with chopped parsley or coriander. Add the lemon juice just before serving for that extra zing.