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Sesame Lentil Soup with Pureed Roasted Red Bell Peppers

8 - 10 servings

Ingredients

  • 2 1/2 Cups Dried Brown Lentils or green, not French green
  • 10 Cups Filtered Water
  • 4 Red Bell Peppers - roasted - deseed - destemmed - pureed
  • 1/2 Cup + 3 Tablespoons Toasted Sesame Oil
  • 1/2 White Onion - diced
  • 4 Carrots - sliced
  • 3 Cloves Garlic - minced
  • 1/4 Cup Dry White Wine
  • 1/4 Cup Brown Rice Vinegar
  • 1/3 Cup + 2 Teaspoon Tamari Sauce
  • 1 Tablespoon Sea Salt - or to taste
  • 2 Teaspoons Hot Chili Sauce like Sriracha Optional
  • 1 Cup Fresh or Frozen Corn
  • 1/4 Cup Toasted Sesame Seeds - for sprinkling on top Optional

Garnish options

  • Sesame seed
  • Green Onions
  • Chives
  • Parmesan or Asiago cheese

Instructions

Roasted Peppers

  1. Roast peppers on the stovetop over medium-high heat. A gas stove works the best but it will work fine on an electric stove.

  2. Char the peppers on all sides turning with a pair of tongs.
  3. When good and charred, steam them for 10 minutes in a covered dish or a paper bag rolled shut to hold in the steam.
  4. Take a paper towel and rub off the char. It’s ok to leave a little of the char.
  5. De-stem, de-seed and remove skins of bell peppers then puree in a food processor.

Soup

  1. While peppers are roasting, thinly slice the carrots, dice the onion and add to a sauté pan along with 2 tablespoons sesame oil.
  2. Next, mince the garlic and add to onions. Sauté on medium heat for about 6 minutes, cover for 6 more.
  3. Add the wine and cook until wine is reduced to a syrup.
  4. Add water and lentils to the carrots, bring to a boil and turn down to a simmer (in between low and medium-low) for 25 - 35 minutes. Or until lentils are soft.
  5. While lentils are cooking, pour the pureed peppers into a medium-sized bowl along with sesame oil, brown rice vinegar, tamari, sea salt and hot sauce if using. Set aside until lentils are finished cooking and then add to lentils.

  6. Cook for 10 more minutes then add the corn and cook for a few more minutes to heat up the corn.

  7. In a sauté pan add sesame seeds and stir over medium heat until golden. (optional)