Greetings fellow Steemians!
I was asked to cook soup for about 20 people today and only had about 2.5 hours within which to get it done. I figured I'd document it all and post about in the hopes others can enjoy this dish as much as we all did. Now, there are a plethora of recipes and variations on cooking up lentils, but I am a purist I guess, since I like to taste my lentils. I also prefer them to be not quite 100% pureed. All credit for this recipe goes to Mr. Alton Brown from Food Network. The guy knows his stuff!
Here are the ingredients you'll need to prepare enough for about 8 people. I doubled mine and we were fine:
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup finely chopped onion
1/2 cup finely chopped carrot
1/2 cup finely chopped celery
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 pound lentils, picked and rinsed
1 cup peeled and chopped tomatoes
2 quarts chicken or vegetable broth
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground toasted cumin
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground grains of paradise
This is what I had handy - then the wife came home with the last few items I needed:
I can't believe its already been two years since I invested in this Dutch Oven. It was pricey as hell, but everything that comes out of this pot is amazing. If you are debating this purchase, stop now and go buy it. My recommendation is to go with a 6-quart though. Mine is plenty big at 4-quarts, but I do sometimes feel inadequate - size matters, lol!
The reverse "dimples" (nipples?) on the inside lid are designed to slowly baste your meat in its own juices as it cooks. Unnecessary for this application, but I have to believe it is adding flavor when I make braised short ribs (future post).
Some people knock the blackened interior claiming it is hard to see how cooked your food is in there. I have no issues whatsoever and I'm sure Staub designed it this way for a reason. I once knew that reason but I've since forgotten...
Anyway, chop it all up as finely as you can:
Then, heat up the Olive oil in the pot and once hot enough, drop all the veggies in except for the tomatoes. Add the salt and sweat it all until onions are translucent:
Next, drop in the tomatoes and the spices. This recipe calls for Grains of Paradise. Truth be told, I've only ever used this spice for this recipe. The Grains of Paradise and the Coriander smell very much like some kind of perfume to me, yet put it all together and somehow it tastes good :)
Once that has simmered for a bit, we add the liquids and bring to a boil before we introduce the star of the show, the Lentils! I used green/brown lentils, but the red ones are also great and I hear they are a bit more nutritious too.
Now, reduce the heat to a low simmer and let it evaporate out some of that liquid, slowly, for at least 35 minutes or so. From there, I use an immersion blender (another much-loved kitchen toy) and get it to the consistency/texture that I prefer.
Lastly, enjoy! The group loved it and not too much was leftover, proof of a successful dish!
I hope you all enjoyed this post as much as I liked putting it together. I love to cook when I can find the time! If you appreciate this post and wouldn't mind more food posts from me, kindly provide a little up-vote encouragement and I will happily do more food posts!
I am Goldfucius Nofiat and I approve this post - wishing you all the very best, continued health, safety, prosperity, and in these times, discerning wisdom.