Red Lentil Curry Soup

                                    from Happy Herbivore


So my soup totally looks like I fed it a ton of chocolate ice cream, never cleaned off its mouth with a moist napkin afterwards but instead realized I was running late for a lunch-date with its grandma and so dragged it quickly through the park by its arm, in the process making it lose its pretty red balloon which in turn made its eyes whell up with tears, causing me to yell at it--"Stop acting like a baby"--causing it to cry even more, and then, about 15 minutes later, when the tears finally subsided and the hiccups were nearly quieted down, grandma showed up and started taking cutesy pictures of it while it was still sloppy with chocolate ice cream and tears.

Point being: clearly I need to wipe down the rim before taking pics. (TWSS!)

As for the soup: good, autumnal, spicy as hell (I used 2.5 t. garam masala and 1/2 t. red pepper flakes, fyi, and it was flame-mouth all the way), and needs something a little more in it, though I'm not quite sure what but I'm thinking apples and then I'm thinking I need to kick my own ass because that seems to be my solution to everything nowadays. Car's blinkers stopped working? Apples will fix it. Got a toothache radiating up into your eye socket? Apples! Your mother just got mauled by what looked like a wilderbeest but couldn't possibly be a wilderbeest in the middle of upscale Manhattan? Apples will save the day.

Nonetheless: something.

*COU veganmofo GH*

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 small onion, sliced thinly


• 3 garlic cloves, minced


• 3 c. of water, plus a little more


• 1 c. uncooked red lentils


• 16 baby carrots, sliced


• 1 bay leaf


• 1 t. mild curry powder


• 1″ fresh ginger, minced (or 1 t. ground ginger)


• 1 T. minced fresh cilantro


• red pepper flakes as desired (or other heat spice)


• 1/4 t. cloves


• 1-2 t. garam masala


• 1 c. fat free soy milk or lite coconut milk


• salt/pepper to taste


• cilantro for garnish

DIRECTIONS

Line a large pot with a thin layer of water. Turn heat on high and add onions. Boil/saute for three minutes, then add garlic. Continue to cook until most of the water has cooked off.

Add water, lentils, carrots, bay leaf, curry, ginger, cilantro, flakes and cloves. Bring to a boil then cover and reduce to low. Simmer 20 minutes (or until lentils are cooked and most of the water has absorbed). Stir in garam masala.

Let sit (no heat, but covered) 5 minutes - optional.

Transfer to a blender. Add soy milk or coconut milk. Puree until smooth and creamy. Salt and pepper to taste. Garnish with fresh cilantro leaves.
Note: the older the soup gets, the more flavorful it becomes– if you can, make it a day in advanced.

(Recipe from Happy Herbivore)