No Duck Soup

(Lentil and Tomato soup with no duck in it…)

Ingredients

1 red onion diced

3 cloves of garlic minced

3 tbsp olive oil

3 stalks of celery diced

3 carrots sliced

juice of 1 lemon and 1 orange

2-3 bouillon cubes (we used vegetarian ones)

2 cups of red lentils ( they are available at Whole Foods in the bulk foods)

pepper and salt to taste

1 large can of diced  tomatoes (we used Muir organic ones ) or of course when fresh tomatoes are affordable and in season you can use 2-3 lbs of those.

8-10 cups of cold filtered water

 1 tsp tarragon

What to do

In a large pot, heat the olive oil, add the onions, carrots, garlic, and the celery. Stir fry for about 5 minutes or until the onions are getting glazed. Add the juice of the lemon and the orange. Add the 8 -10 cups of water and the bouillon cubes. Bring to a boil. Add the tomatoes and add the lentils and cook them on medium heat. Stir frequently because the lentils tend to sink to the bottom of the pot when you first put them in the pot and get burned!   The lentils take about 20 minutes to be fully cooked.  Add the tarragon and any pepper or salt.  Simmer the soup for another 10-15 minutes.

Serve the soup with grated cheese or a dollop of cream if you wish.

This soup tastes even better the second day! 

This is the 9^th recipe of Mr. Welsh’s class Cooks 2005-06    March 2, 2006

Adapted from: Goss, Gary and Dyer, Jane, Blue Moon Soup, a family cookbook,  Little, Brown and Company, Boston 1999