Red Lentil Soup

Winter is my absolute favourite season. Nothing is better than the crisp, fresh air on a cold winter's day in Ottawa. I'm sure many of you will disagree on this but I swear, if you give winter a chance you will find at least one thing you love about it!

Another thing that gets me excited for the colder months is soup. There is something so comforting about it, kind of like your favourite childhood memory. I can vividly remember coming in from hours and hours of playing outside in the snow to a house filled with an intoxicating smell of homemade chicken soup - a staple in my mom's winter cooking.

Now that I have formed a love affair with food, I am able to carry on the tradition of winter soup staples with my own recipies! And let me tell you, this is most definitely a staple in our fall and winter diets.

The beginnings of a delicious flavour party

This recipe was passed down from my soon-to-be mother-in-law. The mix of fresh veggies with red lentils and bulgur is so simple and fabulous.

When making this soup, don't forget to add this :

Chili flakes! Just a sprinkle goes a long way, and gives the soup that extra kick of flavor.

I didn't quite have enough red lentils on this batch, so I ended up adding in a bit more bulgur. But that's the beauty of this soup - you can put in at much or as little of something as you want. You make the rules!

On a cold winter's day, this soup is just the thing to warm you up. It makes enough for about 6-8 hearty bowls, and the longer it sits, the better it tastes!

Ingredients

• 2 celery stalks, thinly cut

• 2-3 carrots, shredded

• 1 chopped onion

• tbsp vegetable oil

• 4 cups (2 boxes) chicken stock, or any of your other favourite stock

• water

• 1 cup WASHED red lentils

• 1 cup bulgur (or rice, orzo, etc)

• 1/4 tsp salt

• 1/2 tsp pepper

• 1/2 tsp chili flakes (or however much you like, depending on your spice tolerance)

Cooking Instructions

• sautee chopped onion in vegetable oil in a large pot (5minutes)

• add in celery and carrots, and sautee until soft and fragrant (6-8 minutes)

• add in chicken stock, plus approximately 2 cups of water (enough water to almost fill up your pot)

• wash lentils beforehand, and add into the pot

• add in bulgur

• add in chili flakes, salt and pepper

• bring your soup to a boil

• simmer with lid on for approximately 1 1/2 to 2 hours

Serves 6-8

#soup #lentils #winter #hearty