This soup made a great meal. We just added some slices of French bread and a small salad. The original recipe called for fresh tomatoes but we use a can of DiNapoli whole tomatoes, drained and chopped. Recipe adapted from Food and Wine magazine.
Melt butter in a large pot then add the onion, carrots, celery and garlic. Cook over medium high heat for about 5 minutes until the vegetables soften. Add the cumin, coriander and chile powder and cook for about 3 minutes. Add tomatoes and cook for about 2 minutes. Add the lentils, wine and water. Taste and add salt as desired. Simmer over medium heat for 30 minutes. Puree the soup in batches in a food processor. Return to the pot, check seasonings add more salt if needed. Serve in wide bowls with a dollop of yogurt if desired.
lentils, tomatoes, spices
carrots, celery, garlic and onions
soup after simmering, before puree