SILKY RED LENTIL AND SWEET POTATO SOUP

I'm knee-deep in details for the fundraising bellydance show I'm organizing for this Saturday (yikes!), so I'm not doing much cooking OR blogging! But here's a soup that we had the other night and it's a favorite of ours. A friend of ours who cooked in a local restaurant loved it so much that she asked permission to serve it where she worked. Of course, I said yes!

Printable Recipe

BRYANNA’S RED LENTIL AND SWEET POTATO SOUP
Servings: 4

This soup makes a great light lunch, or a starter to a company meal. It’s a variation of the Turkish Red Lentil Soup in my book “The Fiber for Life Cookbook”. PS: If you prefer, saute the onions in a little olive oil.

2 small (or 1 medium) onions, chopped
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
4 cups vegetarian broth
2 cups cubed, peeled sweet potatoes
2/3 cup red (or pink) lentils, rinsed
1 teaspoon lemon juice
Freshly-ground pepper to taste
1/4 teaspoon salt
Garnish:
Paprika or smoked paprika sprinkled on each bowl (you can sprinkle it in the shape of a heart, or other design, if you wish)

Steam-fry the onions in a large heavy skillet sprayed with oil from a pump sprayer-- adding a bit of water, broth or sherry as needed to keep the mixture from sticking-- until soft. OR, MICROWAVE OPTION (this saves time and effort, so it's the one I use, place in a microwavable dish (such as a Pyrex pie plate), cover with a microwavable plate, and microwave at full power for 5 minutes. Stir in the spices, blending well.

Add the onions to the broth, sweet potatoes, and lentils in a medium soup pot. Simmer for about 30 minutes, uncovered, or until the lentils are tender. Add the lemon juice, salt and pepper. Process with a hand immersion blender right in the pot, or in a blender or food processor, until creamy. (IMPORTANT CAUTION: If you have to use a blender or food processor to do this, leave the middle part of the lid off so that hot air can escape-otherwise you may have exploding hot soup all over you! Cover the hole loosely with a folded cloth as you blend.)

Serve hot with paprika for a garnish.

Nutrition Facts
Nutrition (per serving): 184.9 calories; 3% calories from fat; 0.8g total fat; 0.0mg cholesterol; 157.9mg sodium; 469.7mg potassium; 36.3g carbohydrates; 6.0g fiber; 4.3g sugar; 30.3g net carbs; 9.5g protein; 3.0 points.

I'm coming up for air soon! Cheers!