Red lentil soup

Red lentil soup is another of my tasty, satisfying and, once again, cumin-spiced dishes, and it really couldn't be much easier. So much so, in fact, that I sometimes wonder why I work so hard to make other dishes that involve all sorts of intricate layers of washing, frying, dicing, mincing, and stirring when dishes like these are so quick and delicious. Chop up some carrots, onions, garlic, celery and tomatoes (or even easier, open up a can of tomatoes) and whatever else you have on hand that would be good in soup, toss in some chicken broth, red lentils, and a couple of spices, simmer for about 20 minutes, and call it a day.

The first time I made this soup, which is also the first time I ever made anything with red lentils, I was in for a bit of a surprise. Uncooked red lentils are smaller, cuter and obviously more red than "regular" lentils. I sort of thought they would stay red in the soup, but the lentils basically soften quite a bit more than regular lentils do when you cook them, and they also turn a sort of orangish yellow. It's not a problem at all for the soup because the carrots and celery still lend good texture. The only added fat to the soup is a bit of olive oil to saute the onions in, so even though it's a soup I tend to overindulge in, I'm always able to rationalize that away since after all, it's only vegetables and plant-based protein, anyway. Plants!!