Sweet Lentil Soup with Asparagus Tips

This started out as a soup recipe but can be used as a vegetarian rice dish. A sweet accompaniment to a plate of Basmati rice and assorted Indian breads.

Step: 1

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C).

Step: 2

Cut the top off of the head of garlic and place in a shallow dish in 1 inch of water. Drizzle with 2 tablespoons olive oil, sprinkle with basil, cover and place on a baking sheet. Halve and seed the bell pepper, drizzle with remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil and place on the baking sheet.

Step: 3

Bake garlic and pepper in preheated oven until pepper is browned and garlic is soft, 20 to 40 minutes. Remove from oven and, when cool enough to handle, remove skin from pepper and chop. Squeeze out garlic cloves and mash together in a bowl to form a paste.

Step: 4

While garlic and pepper are baking, combine lentils and chicken broth in a large pot over medium heat. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer 40 minutes, until lentils are just tender.

Step: 5

Stir garlic paste, bell pepper, carrots, onion, asparagus, peas into lentil mixture, adding more broth to thin if necessary. Season with sugar, marmalade, curry powder, saffron, salt and pepper. Simmer 30 minutes more, until vegetables are tender and flavors are well blended.

Per Serving: 319 calories; protein 17g; carbohydrates 50.8g; fat 6.6g; cholesterol 5.6mg; sodium 1367.5mg.

The word “stew” can process to both a dish and a make dishes method. Stewing makes slowly cooking chunks of meat, vegetables or beans in a flavorful water based . It’s same as to braising, instead it does have a few piece of differences. The meat is chopped into smaller pieces instead of being cooked all of it , and the water based material completely covers the essential in a stew as different to a braise’s halfway full . When meat or vegetables are cooked using this method, the resulting dish is called stew.

Stew has a perception for making a rib-sticking meal that comfortable you up on a cold , winter day. It’s true ; a bowl of classic beef stew can make warming featured food , but stew’s comfort factor more than a way beyond preserving you from the chill . It’s all about those soft and chunks of food and vegetables, swimming in a thick, ultra-rich gravy. The way they come together make the ultimate comfort food, no matter the weather.