Morrocan  Red  Lentil

When I used to work in Manhattan I would always get soup from Hale & Hearty and their red lentil soup was one of my favorites. After failing to find the recipe online I created my own version. (And I actually think it's better than Hale & Hearty's). It is absolutely delicious and quite simple to make.

Makes 6-8 Servings

2 medium onions (finely chopped)
2 garlic cloves (chopped)
3 teaspoons of ground coriander
2 teaspoons of cumin
2 teaspoons tumeric
1 teaspoon of sweet paprika
1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon
Salt & pepper to taste
4 cups of chicken stock (veggie broth is another option)
4 cups of water
2 cups of canned crushed tomatoes (about 20 ounces)
2 cups of dried red lentils

The juice of 1 lemon
1/4 teaspoon of red pepper flakes (optional)
Fresh cilantro leaves

Chop the onion and garlic. Rinse the lentils in cold water and set them aside.

Saute the onions in a few drizzles of olive oil for a few minutes. Add in all of the spices including salt and pepper. Give it a stir.

Now add in the garlic and stir for a minute. Pour in the chicken stock, water and tomatoes. Bring it up to a boil on low to medium heat. This will take a few minutes. Now add in the lentils and stir. Keep the soup uncovered on low to medium heat for about 35 minutes.

While the soup cooks you can prepare the cilantro and lemon. You want to remove the cilantro stems.

After 35 minutes taste your soup. The lentils should be getting tender. At this point we want to squeeze in the juice of 1 lemon. Red pepper flakes is optional but it offers a little bit of heat with each bite...just a 1/4 teaspoon...I love it. Let the soup simmer for an additional 15 minutes.

Put a few leaves of cilantro on top of your soup and serve.

Enjoy!