Spicy Lentil Potato Soup

After scouring cookbooks and the internet for recipes and experimenting with different lentil soups, I finally created a recipe of my own that combines lentils and vegetables with the heartiness of potatoes. This soup is the perfect nutritious comfort food for cold nights, and the cumin and cayenne pepper add a spicy zing. For those who don’t like an overly spicy soup, just leave out the cayenne pepper.

Ingredients

1 small onion, peeled and chopped (about 1 cup) 2 medium potatoes, russet or yellow, peeled and chopped

1 cup chopped carrots

2 stalks celery, chopped

1/2 cup dry red lentils, rinsed

1/4 teaspoon pepper 1 1/2 1/8 4 1 2 1 teaspoon dried thyme teaspoon cumin teaspoon cayenne pepper cups low-sodium vegetable broth can diced tomatoes, with their juices tablespoons lemon juice tablespoon butter or olive oil

Directions

Place a frying pan over medium-high heat. Add olive oil/butter and chopped onion. Sauté for 3-4 minutes, until onions are translucent. Add potatoes, celery and carrots, sauté for 3-4 minutes.

Transfer to a large pot. Add lentils, pepper, thyme, cumin and cayenne pepper. Pour in broth, tomatoes with their juices, and lemon juice. Bring to boil on medium-high heat. Stir, cover and simmer for 1 hour or until vegetables are soft, stirring occasionally .

Yield: 5-6 servings.

Submitted by Edith Decody