Recently, someone wrote the Monastery and asked for this recipe, even offering to make a donation! We thought there might be more folks out there who would enjoy it. It calls for red lentils rather than the customary brown variety. The red are beautiful in color and a bit easier to digest. This is not a flashy soup, but it is a nutritious gift to this precious body that provides us with the opportunity to wake up and end suffering.
Gasshō,
Sequoia
Red Lentil Vegetable Soup
Serves 9-10
- 2 cups of red lentils
- 2 bay leaves
- 8 cups of water
- 2/3 onion, chopped
- 4 cloves of garlic, minced
- 2 carrots, sliced
- 2 stalks of celery, sliced
- 1 turnip, in small cubes
- 1 – 15 oz. can of diced tomatoes
- 2 Tbsp dried basil
- 2 Tbsp dill weed
- 2 tsp salt
- ¼ tsp pepper
- ½ tsp thyme
- 1/3 lb. cauliflower flowerets
- 1/3 lb. frozen peas
- 1 butternut squash, baked and pureed
- 1/3 lb. broccoli flowerets
- 1/3 lb. greens, steamed
- Wash lentils and put them in a pot with the water and the bay leaves and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until the lentils are soft (about 1 hour). Remove the bay leaves.
- In a skillet, sauté onion and garlic until well cooked. Add all the remaining ingredients except the peas, broccoli, squash, and greens and cook until the vegetables are done.
- Mix with the water and lentils, adding water if needed until it has a soupy consistency. Simmer and add the peas, broccoli, and greens. Cook for 5 minutes longer until the broccoli and greens are tender. Adjust seasonings and serve.