Lentil soup for the university student’s soul

Jordana Levine, Food Columnist

I walked to school this morning on sheets of ice. On the way home, it was raining but somehow it still felt like the temperature was below zero.

I was stuck inside my house as the rainstorm blundered on outside my window, wind and icy rain slashing at the trees.

All I wanted was a nice warm meal, without having to leave the house for any ingredients.  I was tempted to order in some coconut curry and curl up in front of the TV, but I had a couple hours to kill, so I started rummaging though my cupboard.

The lentils were my first inspiration. The tiny reddish discs had been sitting on my shelf for a couple months, but I just didn’t have any inspiration to use them. Last time I bought them, I made an Indian dish that I was not too proud of and it kind of turned me off of cooking with the legumes for a while.

But I decided they were the perfect base for a flavourful, hot, comforting soup. And it took very little effort, which was a definite plus, considering how lazy I was feeling.

The only thing lentil soup really needs is some broth and lentils, and maybe half an onion. I added a couple other things to spice it up, but it was pretty basic:

1 cup red lentils

6 cups vegetable stock (I used bouillon cubes)

½ onion, diced

½ shallot, diced

2 carrots, diced

2 tsp thyme

1 tsp oregano

salt and pepper to taste

Handful fresh spinach

Sauté the onion and shallot in a pan with a couple drops of oil until they turn translucent and slightly brown.

In a separate pot, heat the stock to a boil. Add the lentils, thyme, oregano, salt and pepper and simmer. After about 10 minutes, add the carrots and cook until the lentils are soft and the carrots are fairly soft (although I like a little bit of crunch).

Adjust the seasoning, throw in some spinach for colour, and serve.

This is a great recipe for vegetables that have been lying around just a little too long. Celery, tomatoes and broccoli would be nice additions. You could add rice or potatoes to make it a heartier and more complete meal.

The more herbs and vegetables you put in, the more flavourful the soup will be – and the less salt you’ll need to add. It makes this dish low in fat and high in nutrients. Also, the lentils and spinach are a great source of protein and iron, which are an essential part of a vegetarian meal.

This soup also requires very little effort. Once everything is in the pot, you just let it simmer until it’s cooked.

Most importantly, it warmed my belly and fought off the chill-to-the-bone feeling of an icy, rainy, east coast day.