My wife’s sister, who is a great home cook, made this for me/us when I was recovering from surgery. We loved it so much that we chased her down for the recipe.
2 cups red lentils
2 tbsp olive oil
1 large yellow onion, diced
2 tsp salt
8 cloves garlic, minced
2 carrots, diced
1 tsp cracked pepper
1/4 tsp red chile flakes
2 T minced oregano
8 cups vegetable stock
zest of 1 lemon
juice of 2 lemons
2 T minced rosemary
cracked pepper to taste
Rinse lentils thoroughly in a colander under cold running water. Set aside to drain.
Heat oil in a soup pot over medium-high heat and saute onion until translucent. Add garlic, carrot, pepper, chilies, herbs, and salt.
Stir well and sauté until the carrots are just tender. Add rinsed lentils and stock and bring to a boil.
Reduce heat to a simmer and cook, partially covered until the lentils are soft and falling apart. If you like, the soup can be pureed or left as is.
Vegetarian Chili from America’s Test Kitchen 2010
