Taste of Sabbatical (Lentil Soup)

I spent about 3 months total (of my sabbatical) in the Pacific Northwest.


During that time I enjoyed the free time to cook a little more.


 In Washington, Kristen and I made about 30 different kinds of cookies and recipes, thanks to a fully stocked kitchen and a great cookie book she picked up on her way to Anacortes, WA.


 


Yeah, that would be me 'fake cooking' an empty casserole dish.


I want to say 'oh, I can't remember why we even took this picture' but I fully remember running around, the day we were leaving, thinking I hadn't taken any pictures so I tried recreating shots all over the house.


Oh well, I like visuals, and i guess it works...


In Portland-it was all about the lentil soup. Thanks to Mary's plethora of cooking books, esp Moosewood's Cookbooks, I have learned how to make and thus become obsessed with Lentil Soup. (mmm...lentil soup...)


Below is the recipe from her Sunday's at Moosewood cookbook but this recipe reminds me of sabbatical and my lovely days in Portland... with Mary... and Charlie... and the good times we had.


I wish i had an actual picture of Mary and I enjoying yummy lentil soup on a cool Portland day, well i don't... but I do have this Cafe Latte I got one morning at Krema Cafe where the coffee bartista guy made this for me...


 


Ah, sabbatical days- how I miss thee.


Now that I'm back to work I haven't had the time to actually plan out when I will make this soup next (though I've enjoyed Trader Joe's canned Lentil Soup and added chopped spinach after it's heated- and it has become my 2nd favorite)


There are a few more 'taste of sabbatical' recipes to come... but this is the first, esp since there are probably one 1 - 2 more cool days (68℉) in Vegas before this recipe will get filed away until next December (because come on, who wants to eat soup when it's 115℉ outside).


sundays at moosewood restaurant:


1 cup dried lentils
5 cups vegetable stock
1 teaspoon salt


rinse the lentils, bring them to a boil in the salted stock. Reduce the heat and simmer, covered for 40 min.


1/4 cup olive oil
2 cups chopped onions
3 garlic cloves (pressed)
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
2 bay leaves
1/2 cup raw bulgur
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
2 cups chopped tomatoes
1/4 cup tomato paste
pinch of dried rosemary (or to taste)
salt and fresh ground pepper


Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in heavy soup pot. saute the onions until translucent. Add the garlic, cayenne, bay leaves, and raw bulgur. Stir the mixture on medium heat until the onions and bulgur are lightly browned.


Mix in the parsley and tomatoes. When the tomatoes begin to give up their juice, gently stir in the tomato paste.


Pour the lentils and their liquid into the soup pot with onions and bulgur. Simmer the soup for 15 min. Add the rosemary, salt, pepper to taste.


If the lentils and bulgar have absorbed too much liquid, add more stock, water or tomato juice. Remove the bay leaves.


2 cups of stemmed, cleaned, and coarsely chopped fresh spinach


Just before serving, stir in the fresh spinach and let it wilt in the hot soup.


chopped fresh parsley


Garnish with more fresh parsley and serve with crusty bread.


Nutritional Info:
1 cup = 175 cal, 7.5 fat, 8 fiber