Seasoning for Lentil Soup Without Meat
Properly seasoned lentil soup has a rich meaty flavor without the addition of any animal products. Lentils are small disc-shaped seeds that grow inside a pod. The tiny seeds are often fully dried for storage and must be hydrated to make them tender again. Seasonings added during the soup cooking process are absorbed into the lentils to add internal flavor. Bring out the hearty meatlike flavor in lentil soup with a few carefully chosen complementary herbs and spices. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- Finely minced garlic
- Finely minced shallot or mild onion
- Nonstick pan
- Cumin seed
- Coriander seed
- Grains of paradise (Melegueta pepper)
- Ground turmeric
- Sweet paprika
- Salt
Instructions
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1
Add two minced cloves of garlic to the uncooked lentil soup for every pound of lentils used. Add four minced shallots or one medium mild onion for every pound of lentils in the soup. Stir the soup to mix the ingredients evenly throughout.
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2
Heat a small nonstick pan over medium-high heat until a droplet of water bounces and quickly evaporates from the hot surface. Turn off the heat. Add ½ tsp. each of whole cumin seed, whole coriander seed and whole grains of paradise to the hot pan for every pound of lentils in the soup.
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3
Shake the hot pan gently to keep the spices moving. Pour the spices into a dedicated spice mill once the pan has cooled. Run the spice mill until the toasted spices become a fine powder.
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4
Sprinkle three quarters of the spice blend into the lentil soup as it cooks. Reserve the remaining quarter of the ground spices. Add ½ tsp. each of ground turmeric and sweet paprika for every pound of lentils in the soup.
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5
Taste the cooked lentil soup. Add the remaining ground spices as needed. Stir salt into the soup ½ tsp. at a time until the desired salt level is achieved.
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Tips & Warnings
Black peppercorns can be substituted for the grains of paradise in a lentil soup. Use only a ¼ tsp. for every pound of lentils if using black peppercorns.
Overcooked lentils fall apart, which thickens and changes the seasoning levels in a soup. Taste and adjust seasoning if the lentils have ruptured.
References
- Photo Credit lentilles corail image by Francis Lempérière from Fotolia.com
