 Mexican Lentil Soup with Roasted Garlic
Hart & Hind Fitness
Ranch
Paula Disbrowe, Cowgirl Chef
Six Servings
1 head garlic
1
teaspoon plus 2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, diced
2
stalks celery, trimmed and chopped
2 carrots, peeled and chopped
2 bay leaves, preferably fresh
2 cups black beluga lentils, rinsed
8 cups water or chicken stock
1/2 cup fresh
epazote,
chopped
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1-2 tablespoons adobo sauce from chipotle chiles, or hot sauce to
taste
Kosher salt, freshly ground pepper
Preheat the oven to
325¾. Hold the garlic by its stem end and trim off the top fourth off
the opposite end. Place the garlic, cut side up, on a square piece of
aluminum foil. Drizzle the garlic with the teaspoon of olive oil and
loosely wrap in foil. Place the foil packet on a cookies sheet and
roast for one hour.
Heat the remaining 2
tablespoons of olive oil in a enamel-coated cast iron soup pot. Add
the onion, celery and carrot and saute until softened and fragrant,
about 5 minutes. Add the bay leaves, lentils, chicken stock and
epazote and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until the lentils
are tender, about 25 minutes.
Meanwhile, remove
the roasted garlic flesh from the paper skin. To do this, grip the
stem end of the garlic and squeeze the flesh out through the cut end.
Set aside.
Remove the bay
leaves. Transfer two cups of the soup to a blender, along with the
roasted garlic flesh, cumin, coriander, and adobo sauce or hot sauce.
Puree the mixture until silky smooth and return to the pot. Stir well
to incorporate and simmer for an additional 5 minutes. Taste again
for seasonings and hot sauce.
Note: Black beluga
lentils are small domestic lentils that resemble beluga caviar. They
create a richer stock than green or brown lentils. This soup improves
after a day of sitting, and lasts up to a week in the refrigerator.
If you need to perk up the flavor, add a teaspoon or two of red wine
or sherry wine vinegar. |
