Page 41 - UMass2018_CookBook

Dad's Lentil Soup
Kafel Family, Foxboro, MA
“Popular with family and friends. Lentil soup is common, but this one frequently gets rave reviews and requests to share the recipe.”
— Hussein Kafel
Preparation
1. Heat the oil in a large soup pot over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until translucent. Add the cilantro and garlic and cook, stirring frequently, until fragrant, 30 seconds to 1 minute (do not let the garlic burn).
2. Add 2 cups of the water and the bouillon cubes and stir until they are completely dissolved. Add the remaining 6 cups water, the lentils, cumin, chard and potato, if desired. Raise the heat to high and bring
to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and simmer until the lentils are tender, about 30 minutes.
3. The chard will add a sour flavor to the soup, but you may add the lemon juice or more cumin to taste.
4. If you used red lentils, there is no need to do anything else. If you use regular lentils, transfer 3 to 4 cups of the soup to a blender and blend until smooth, then stir the purée into the pot.
Note: This recipe doesn’t need salt because the chicken bouillon contains salt.
Ingredients
Serves 6 to 8
1⁄4 cup olive oil
1 cup chopped yellow onion
1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro
3 garlic cloves, crushed
8 cups water
3 chicken bouillon cubes
2 cups lentils (regular or red Turkish lentils)
1 tablespoon ground cumin, plus more as needed
2 cups chopped Swiss chard
1 cup diced peeled potato (optional)
1 tablespoon lemon juice (optional)
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