So Dusseldorf continues to exhibit signs of weather schizophrenia. One day it’s cold and rainy and then it’s sunny and warm, only to get really cold in the evening and to rain on occasion. Every morning I wake up to grey skies but then around midday, the most beautiful, sharp, blinding sun comes out and shines till the late afternoon. I come out on the balcony, to bask in the sunshine and I realize that it’s really, really cold. This city and its weather are thoroughly confused. I’m not confused. I know what to cook when capricious weather strikes: soups, pots and pots of soups. Wintertime is like a culinary soup school for me, it allows me to broaden my soup repertoire. So I look in my numerous cookbooks, wrap myself tightly and go shopping for soup ingredients. Yesterday, I made a delicious red lentil soup with coriander. It instantly put me in a good mood, because it looked like a ray of sunshine in a bowl, and it tasted really good, too.
Ingredients:
1 onion, finely chopped
2Tbs olive oil
2 garlic cloves, pressed
1tsp ground cumin
1tsp ground coriander
150g (5.3oz) red lentils
1.2l (5 cups) chicken or vegetable broth
juice of half a lemon
pepper
fresh coriander, chopped
Heat up olive oil in a large pot. Fry the onions till translucent. Add garlic, cumin, ground coriander and fry for a couple of minutes. Add lentils and the broth and let it boil. Simmer on low heat for about 40 minutes, till the lentils are soft. Season with salt and pepper and serve with a garnish of fresh, chopped coriander and a sprinkle of lemon juice.
Servings: 4 (about 235 kcal/serving)
Adapted from: Simple Mediterranean Cookery
