Carrot Lentil Soup and the First Day of School

What kind of soup you stirring up? (Any P90X grads out there?) Well I am stirring up some Carrot Lentil. I think it’s safe to say this soup is on the P90X diet guide. If you do not already love lentils, you need to get into them! They are delicious, easy to cook and a great vegetarian source of protein.

I will be enjoying a bowl of carrot lentil soup after my date with fitness extraordinaire and life coach Tony Horton. I will also for the first time in months be working out in “peace” since (drum roll, please) I just dropped my kids off at their first day of school!

It went about how I thought it would go. I was the most nervous and had to hold back tears. My preschooler was so excited to play she ran off without saying goodbye. I had to chase her down for my goodbye kiss. And my first grader was quiet as a mouse as she walked into the unknown with a backpack too big for her tiny frame. This image of her was permanently burnt into my mind and tied in a double knot to the strings of my heart. I somehow already know that on the day she goes to college this image will resurface and probably pull my heart out of my chest.

And while I say I am in “peace” there will not be a second that goes by today where I do not think of my daughters and count the minutes until it is time to pick them up. I have a feeling they will both run out with big smiles.

So a good day for soup. For some reason I bought a ridiculously large bag of carrots from Costco. If you did that too, you should make this soup. Warm your heart, and make space in your fridge. Win, win.

This soup is simple, elegant and delightfully exotic thanks to the whole cumin seeds. I recommend you garnish it with Greek yogurt, cilantro, hot sauce and grilled Naan.

Aloha,

ps Here is my song of the day Death Cab for Cutie – Soul Meets Body They are playing tonight in Honolulu, kinda fun living near a big city!

 

Carrot Lentil Soup

Ingredients

10 carrots peeled and cut into 1 inch pieces

2 new potatoes washed and cut in a large dice

2 Cups Red Lentils, rinsed

1 Cup onion diced

1 Cup celery diced

2 cloves garlic

2 T olive oil

2 t whole Cumin Seeds

6 Cups Vegetable or Chicken broth and 6 cups water

Salt and Pepper

Garnish:

Plain Greek Yogurt

Cilantro

Hot Sauce

Grilled Naan

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Saute onions and celery in olive oil over medium heat for about 5 minutes or until the onion are soft. Add the garlic and cumin seeds, stirring, until fragrant. Add the potatoes, carrots, lentils, stock, and 4 Cups of water and bring to a boil. Simmer until the potatoes and carrots are tender and mashable.  If you have an immersion blender-stoaked! If not, no big deal, just transfer into the blender in small batches. Blend to the consistency you like. Add salt and pepper to taste and if your soup is too thick add more water. Garnish with a dallop of yogurt, chopped cilantro and a few drops of hot sauce. Serve with grilled Naan. I like to lightly brush my Naan with olive oil on the grill.