As a child our Mother used to make Lentil soup so I suppose my love of this rich delicious pleasure was laid down early on in my memory of favourite tastes. Then as an adult I made it often as a winter warmer for my family but I have never tasted one so good as the Lentil soup served at the Hilton Hotel in Al Ain, Abu Dhabi. I sneaked into the restaurant kitchen one evening after having their sensational lentil soup yet again as a starter. Of course the very nice chef was not about to give his secret recipe away but with some gentle persuading I manage to glean the little tips that make all the difference to achieving a really great lentil soup. My recipe is now as follows.
3 tablespoons of butter – Salt and black pepper.
1 large onion chopped – Juice of 1 lemon.
1 stalk of celery chopped – 3 carrots chopped.
3/4 lb lentils rinsed and soaked over night – 2 teaspoons of cumin.
3 pints of good rich meat stock – 1 beef meat bone ( optional).
Small garlic flavoured croutons.
Now either red, yellow, green or brown lentils can be used -see the two photos – I do like to soak mine overnight after rinsing well, these days the quality of lentils is so good this may not be necessary still I feel it makes a difference. Never soak your lentils in salted water as this makes the skins hard .
Melt the butter in a medium saucepan and cook the onion slowly, until soft and a golden colour. Add the celery, carrot and saute for a few minutes. Add the lentils and the meat bone ( if using) and the rich meat stock. Bring up to the boil and then turn down to simmer for at least 1 & 1/2 hours, longer if possible, gentle long slow cooking makes this soup . When the lentils are soft and cooked, season the soup with salt and black pepper. Then add your lemon and cumin, we like rather a lot of cumin but I have suggest 2 teaspoons to start, Remove the meat bone and simmer for a further 5 minutes. Allow to cool a little and then blend in an electric blender – or squash with a potato masher until a smooth puree.
Return the soup to your pan and bring gently to the boil once more and then down to a simmer – ready for serving. – I serve with a little Creme Fraiche, and some sprinkled chopped chives and we like ours rather thick, but you can adjust with a little more stock or further blending should you choose.
Serve with croutons of bread fried in olive oil, to which a clove or two of crushed garlic has been added. This soup is still a very cheap option and is great for lunch with crispy french bread or makes the perfect starter particularly on a cold winter’s evening.
Remember, cooking with love, it makes a difference you know . I do hope you enjoy it.