Spiced Red Lentil Soup

You can tell it is getting cold around Austin because I am busting out with a ton of soup recipes. It is a cross between that and me trying to pile through the copious amounts of dried beans in my pantry. The good news is that I have tons of great soups to warm up with, and my readers have some new recipes to try out!

This is another hearty soup great for warming the soul and filling the belly on a cold day! It couldn't be easier, and can be made from things you generally always have around the house!

3 TBSP Olive Oil
1 medium onion, diced
1 TBSP fresh grated ginger
6-7 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp yellow mustard powder
1 tsp coriander
1/2 tsp garam masala
1/2 tsp tumeric
1 TBSP sea salt
2 cups red lentils, washed
3 vegetable broth bouillons
1 cup green peas, frozen or fresh

In a large pot, heat the oil on medium heat and add the onions. Cook for a few minutes, and then stir in the ginger and the garlic. While these are cooking, heat 6 cups of water and dissolve the 3 bouillon cubes in it. Set aside.

To the onion mixture, stir in all the spices, including salt, and the red lentils. After a few minutes, add the vegetable broth mixture and bring the entire pot to a boil. Once boiling, reduce to a low simmer and cover. Cook for about one hour. Stir the lentils occasionally to make sure that they are not sticking to the pot. Remove from heat and stir in the green peas. Cover and allow the soup to sit for a few minutes to cook with the peas. Serve with crusty garlic rubbed french bread!