I am a huge fan of soups for a lot of reasons- they're easy to make, they're healthy, they're comforting and filling, and best of all you can make a huge batch and feed yourself for a week. Lentil soup is one of my favorites because it's super tasty and lentils are
really good for you (especially as a protein source if you are a vegetarian). I usually make lentil soup with curry, but I haven't been able to find a good mix yet in Athens, so I adapted my usual recipe to be flavored by fresh ginger.
I started by sauteing carrots, onions and celery in olive oil (called a
mirepoix if you want to get fancy). A lot of soups start from this base and you can pretty much throw in whatever you want from there.
Let those cook until the onions start to brown around the edges, then cover with water or stock and add a cup or so of dry lentils. You can go about a hundred different directions from this point, depending on your taste. I added salt, pepper, cayenne, a one inch cube of fresh ginger (peeled and chopped), a small can of crushed tomatoes, and the juice of one lemon.
The lentils take about 45 to cook, so just check on them every ten minutes or so. Taste the broth toward the end and make sure it is well seasoned (I always wait until the end to add most of my salt because the soup cooks down and the flavors concentrate).
I was actually very happy with how this soup turned out. Boiling the ginger mellows its intense flavor to a subtle spiciness and the lemon juice adds a nice brightness. And as with all good soups, it only got better the longer it sat in the fridge.
I started by sauteing carrots, onions and celery in olive oil (called a mirepoix if you want to get fancy). A lot of soups start from this base and you can pretty much throw in whatever you want from there. 
Let those cook until the onions start to brown around the edges, then cover with water or stock and add a cup or so of dry lentils. You can go about a hundred different directions from this point, depending on your taste. I added salt, pepper, cayenne, a one inch cube of fresh ginger (peeled and chopped), a small can of crushed tomatoes, and the juice of one lemon.
The lentils take about 45 to cook, so just check on them every ten minutes or so. Taste the broth toward the end and make sure it is well seasoned (I always wait until the end to add most of my salt because the soup cooks down and the flavors concentrate).
I was actually very happy with how this soup turned out. Boiling the ginger mellows its intense flavor to a subtle spiciness and the lemon juice adds a nice brightness. And as with all good soups, it only got better the longer it sat in the fridge.
