Spinach and lentil soup screams middle east to me, not kick-you-in-the-mouth-with-garlic-and-chickpeas middle east, but the subtle and warm scream(?) of baharat. No, no, no, no, not the singer and pianist, the Arabic spice mix. What the world needs now is lentils, sweet lentils.
[serves 4 + leftovers]
the stuff:
8-12 cups of water
4 oz spinach (fresh or frozen)*
1 cup of lentils
0.5 cup bulgur**
2 carrots, chopped
2 celery ribs, chopped
1 onion, chopped
2 tbsp olive oil
1 bay leaf
1 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp baharat***
salt & pepper
soup base (optional)
the steps:
In an appropriately sized soup pot heat the olive oil over medium heat until "shimmering".
Add the onion, carrot, celery, and a pinch of salt and saute for about 5 minutes - stir often.
Add the water, thyme, and bay leaf to the pot and bring to a rapid simmer (no boiling).
Once the water is simmering add the lentils and simmer for about 15 minutes - stir occasionally.
After 15 minutes add the bulgur, spinach, and baharat and cook for an additional 5 minutes - stir occasionally.
Take a sample and adjust the flavor with salt and pepper or your favorite soup base.
Kill the heat and enjoy.
the lessons:
Don't have any bulgur? Fuck it, serve with egg noodles instead.
Green or brown whole lentils will largely hold their shape, split lentils will simply fall apart - best leave for them another night (#splitlentilsoup).
* who the fuck measures spinach?!?
** comes in various coarse-ities(?), use whichever one cooks in 5 minutes or so
*** baharat is Arabic for "spice" or "all spice"; do not confuse this with allspice, even though "all spice" can contain allspice... heh, confusing
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