Mulligatawny Stew

(from makinglifedelicious.com)

I always think of Elaine and the Soup Nazi when I hear 'mulligatawny' - so obviously I had to make this! Admittedly, I wasn't wowed after it was done - so I upped the spice quotient to include some cumin, ground ginger and a liberal sprinkling of cayenne for some heat, oh, and a heavy handed spoonful of madras curry paste - I think it is a forgiving recipe that way. Needless to say, the leftovers once again eclipsed the night of, and we still have some to tuck into - much to my delight. Really great dish - easy too.

2 tbsp olive oil
2 yellow onions, chopped (about 3-4 cups)
2 tsp minced garlic, (3–4 cloves)
1 tbsp fresh ginger, finely chopped (I always use more ginger)
1 tbsp curry powder
2 tsp garam masala
¾ cup green or black lentils, rinsed (I used just more than a cup of black beluga lentils)
15 ounce diced tomatoes, with their liquid
32 ounce chicken or vegetable broth
½ cup light unsweetened coconut milk
1 lemon, cut into wedges, for serving (opt) (was a must)
a bunch of chopped cilantro, for serving (opt) (oh yes)
salt to taste

Heat the oil in a stockpot over medium-high heat. Add the onions, garlic, ginger, curry powder and garam masala and sauté it, stirring occasionally, until the onions are lightly browned, about 6-8 minutes. Stir in the lentils to coat them.

Add the tomatoes and broth. Bring the soup to a boil and then turn down the heat and simmer, stirring it occasionally, until the lentils are tender.

How long this takes varies depending on the lentils you use - I think I cooked it for 30 minutes or more?. The soup thickened considerably during this time.

Stir in the coconut milk until it is heated through. Add salt to taste. (the original recipe had the soup pureed, I did not - it was a wonderful texture as is).

Serve over J's wicked rice blend, squeezing fresh lemon juice over it, and garnishing with fresh cilantro (and green onions - my obsession!)