I know there are a million cold remedies out there but the one that the Aiutos (and now McCaigs) swear by is spicy soup. Sure chicken noodle will make you feel warm and fuzzy, but only something with a little extra heat will help clear out that congestion! My usual cure is a steaming bowl of extra spicy Thai Tom Yum soup, but tonight I wanted something thicker and heartier. After all clearing my head would be helpful but I wanted to feel full as well!
Feeling confused and uninspired I took a peek in the pantry and was greeted by the same bag of French Puy lentils that had been staring at me for several months now. As my poor husband will attest, I have a slight addiction to buying random bags of grains and pulses and never actually using them. We had a box of whole wheat giant couscous sitting in our pantry for almost a year - WHY? We LOVED the giant couscous when we tried it, so why on earth did we stick to our staples of rice and regular couscous for so long? Its the same with these lentils, I bought them in a fit of inspiration and have stared at them every day since trying to work up the will to actually cook them. Don't get me wrong, I like lentils, but I often find lentil based recipes, particularly soups, can be a little mushy and a little plain. But where there is a will, there is a way and tonight I was determined to not only use these lentils, but to use them in a soup with texture, flavor, and most importantly with spice!
Friends - this is what I came up with. Its hearty and spicy and when topped with little 'croutons' made from sweet potato it is utterly delicious. Enjoy it while snuggled up and wearing something along these lines.
Spicy Puy Lentil Soup with Garlic Cajun Sweet Potato 'Croutons'
For the Soup:
1 cup Puy lentils, rinsed
1 onion, minced
3 large cloves garlic, minced
1 green chili, minced (for extra heat leave some of the seeds, for a milder version remove the seeds)
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp hot paprika
1 tsp curry powder
1/2 tsp cajun spice mix
1 14oz. can chopped tomatoes
1 bay leaf
1-2 cups chicken stock (start with one and add until soup is your level of thickness)
salt and pepper to taste
2 cups deveined and chopped kale (you could also use spinach)
Bring 3 cups of water to a boil in a large saucepan, add the lentils, and cook for about 20 minutes, or until tender. Drain and set the lentils aside.
Meanwhile, heat the oil in a heavy soup pot over medium heat, then add the onion and and saute until tender, a couple minutes. Add the garlic, chili, and spices and saute for another few minutes until the onions are translucent. Stir in the tomatoes, lentils, and chicken stock and continue cooking for a few more minutes, letting the soup come back up to a simmer. Season with salt and pepper to taste and add the bay leaf, and cook for a further 15 minutes. Stir in the chopped greens, and cook for a further 10 minutes. Taste and adjust the seasoning if need be. Ladle into bowls, and serve with garlic cajun sweet potato croutons.
Garlic Cajun Sweet Potato Croutons
1 sweet potato, pealed and cubed into small cubes
1 tbsp garlic (I used garlic paste, but you could use fresh minced garlic)
1 tbsp cajun spice blend
1 tbsp olive oil
Heat a saute pan on medium heat. Toss sweet potato cubes with olive oil, garlic and cajun spice until evenly coated. Pour the sweet potato into the pan and spread evenly across the pan. Let cook for several minutes without touching to get a nice brown on the sweet potato. Cook for a further 10-15 minutes (depending on the size of your cubes) stirring frequently until potato is crispy and crouton like.
You could also roast the sweet potato in a 350F degree oven for 20-30 minutes
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