First things first… This is the BEST SOUP EVER! And yes, soup is for summer too.
I make a lot of soup, especially in the summer. It's one of the best ways to use up an extra large bounty of any kind of veggie. And with me, I am that person that everyone know will take any or all of the extra veggies that come out of their gardens. I have been handed down bags of fresh produce, loving picked by some old man from his backyard garden who then gives it to his grand daughter, who then gives ti to a friend, which then gives it to a sister, then gives it to me. I think I end up with all the extra veggies in the county (keep them coming) And around these parts, the zucchini are starting to come in and I have already gathered a mound of beautiful green zucchinis on the eating table. It's kind of fantastic I am more then happy to take all of your extra zucchini, even the kind of big ones… cause I can make just about anything out of zucchini. And I will for sure eat it all.
With that said, you might not want to give me ALL of your zucchini because you are going to want to make this soup.It's smooth and creamy (thanks to all the zucchini) but still has a nice chunkiness from the lentils. And the spice is nice, even on a warm day. Plus, this is one of those soups that tastes just as good cool as it does hot..
I was serious when I said that this was the best soup ever, becauce it is. (for now)
So make the soup,then give me your extra zucchinis…. if you have any left after this.
The stuff. Lots of chopped up zucchini along with a chopped up carrot and an onion. Curry powder, salt and pepper, and some oh so sweet little red lentils.
Grab a large pot and toss all of the chopped up veggies, a good handful of curry powder, salt, pepper and a cup or so of water, right on in. Give it a stir and place on medium heat with a lid and let the veggies cook down until nice and soft.
Once all the veggies are tender, remove from heat and add in enough water to completely sumerege the veggies.
And now bust out the blender, or hand blender and blend the veggies as smooth as you like, adding more water if needed to get the soup moving. Here is a good tie to taste and season it with a bit more of whatever you need.
Now dump in the lentils into the soup along with another couple cups of water for good measure.(don't worry if it seems watery.. the lentils will suck up the water) Stir, bring back to a boil, then turn heat down to low and stick the lid back on. Let that simmer until the lentils are cooked.
And maybe you want to be a little fancy… add a few thinly sliced zucchini to the pot, you know, for a tasty garnish.
Scooped into bowls, with the garnish and lots of cracked pepper.
Now go for it.
And watch out, I though I made enough for the mr. and I to eat for a few lunches, but we ended up eating almost all of it in one sitting and then I ended up eating the little bit left for a mid afternoon snack (I was amazing cold too!). But it's cool, I up making it again today.. So f*ing good.
Have the most fantastic day!
-C
Curried Red Lentil Zucchini Soup
- 2 -3 zucchinis ( I used one really big one)
- 1 large carrot
- 1 medium yellow onion
- 1 uncooked cup red lentils
- 2 -3 teaspoons curry powder*
- salt and pepper
- water
*Use a pre blended powder, or make your own. I use a combination of equal(ish) parts cumin, cardamon, coriander, turmeric, cayenne, and ground mustard. And I tend to go heavy on the cumin and turmeric… But do whatever you like.
Chop up the veggies and toss into a big pot with the curry powder,a good pinch of salt and pepper, and about a cup of water. Stick on burner on medium heat and cover. Cook for about 8 minutes, making sure that the water never full evaporates (just add more if needed ) and conitunue to cook the veggies until they are all soft and tender. Remove from heat completely submerge the veggies with water. Now either with a hand blender, or a regular blender, puree the veggies until smooth . Place puree back into pot (or leave in pot) and add in the red lentils and another 2 cups water. Bring the soup back to a boil then turn heat down to low, cover and let the lentils cook through completely. The soup is done when the lentils are cooked through and you are ready to eat. And if you think that soup is to thick, add more water, or to thin, cook down fa little longer.
Scoop soup into bowls or cups, add a few thinly sliced pieces of zucchini on top with lots of freshly ground pepper (if you want) and enjoy with s smile and maybe a spoon.