Savory Red Lentil and Rhubarb Soup

I know it does not look like much.  It really is good.  If you are a lover of beans then this is your dish.  The rhubarb really picks things up with its tartness.  It makes the beans come alive.

I know mine doesn't look like soup.  I decided on leaving out the broth because I had none.  My daughter is vegetarian so throwing in some chicken broth was not an option.  I like to make my own vegetable broth- it has lots of flavor.

Besides, the kids used it like taco meat and put on some sour cream and cheese. 

Savory Red Lentil and Rhubarb Soup

1 cup red lentils
1 cup water
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 bay leaf

2 tablespoons olive oil
2 medium carrots, diced
2 stalks celery, diced
1 medium yellow onion, diced
2 cloves garlic
1 cup chopped rhubarb
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 tablespoon honey
Kosher salt, to taste
1/2 tsp fresh black pepper
1/4 cup chopped parsley
4 cups low-sodium vegetable or chicken broth, or water

Cook lentils in water with garlic powder and bay leaf until just tender.

In a larger pot sauté onion, celery and carrots until tender.  Add in rhubarb, broth, honey, garlic, salt and pepper and parsley.  (If you don't want soup then skip the broth and just add your lentils to the mix).    Let cook until rhubarb is tender.  Add in tomato paste.  Heat  one minute more.  Serve.

Apricot Red Lentil Soup

Seriously. I had never heard of this before.  Apricots, in my red lentil soup?  Yuh huh.  Loved it. I have seen many recipes on line for this but none of them with the amount of apricots that I am going to tell you to use. Your choice- but it was fruity and homey at the same time.

Apparently this soup is Armenian.  I do know apricots are a large part of certain Middle Eastern cuisines.  So I understand its origins.  I have made stuffed grape leaves with apricots and that was totally delicious as well.

Armenian Red Lentil Soup with Apricots


2 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/3 cup dried apricots, chopped
1 1/2 cups red lentils
5 cups chicken stock
3 plum tomatoes, peeled and chopped or a 1/2 cup canned tomatoes
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
salt and pepper to taste
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Saute onion, garlic and apricots in olive oil.  Add lentils and stock.  Bring to a boil then reduce heat and let simmer about 30 minutes.

Stir in tomatoes and season with cumin salt and pepper.  Simmer for ten minutes more.  Stir in lemon juice and blend 1/2 of soup in blender or use an immersion blender.

Butternut Squash with Red Lentils

Easy, healthy and delicious.  Those are some key words for dinner ideas this time of year.  The last thing I want to do is be in the kitchen anymore than I have to.  Lots of Holiday baking.  This year and really last year I havent really done a lot of holiday baking.  So easy to eat too many cookies.  At least for me.  And the more decadent the cookie, the harder it is for me to resist.  Gingerbread cookies, while I love them are a little easier for me to resist then say chocolate mint crinkles. Goodness gracious.

Strategy:  Make less holiday cookies.  The ones I do make, bake them, eat two and freeze them right away.

On to the healthy food of the day.  Butternut Squash and Lentils, Ethiopian style.

This is niter kibbeh. Oh yeah!

Red Lentils and Butternut Squash 
The hardest part about this delicious Ethiopian style recipe is cutting the butternut squash.  Once you get that done, the meal will cook up in under 30 minutes. 

3 cups butternut squash, cubed
3 cups water
1 cup red lentils
2 tablespoons flavored niter kibbeh, find that recipe here or butter
1 medium onion
1 inch ginger, grated
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon turmeric


Saute onions in 1 tablespoon ghee until translucent.  Add garlic, cook one minute more.  Add water, lentils and spices. When the mixture comes to a boil add the squash.  Cover and cook until squash is tender.  Stir in remaining tablespoon of butter and serve.