Red Lentil and Cauliflower Soup

Author Notes: Over the course of a year, I make this dish probably more than any other single recipe. Sometimes in the summer, I add chunks of summer squash and fresh peas right at the end, and in the autumn and winter, I often stir in a cup or two of leftover roasted butternut squash or pumpkin. What I love about this most, though, is the cauliflower. Here are a few tips, which will make a difference. Use ghee for sautéing the onions. Ghee is like brown butter without the little brown pieces. It adds a subtle, nutty taste. You can buy it in Indian groceries, but it’s also quite easy to make and lasts several months, at least, in your fridge. Second, use a good, full-bodied chicken stock. It rounds out the flavors of the vegetables and spices. If for whatever reason, you don’t want to use chicken stock, use a good vegetable stock. You can make it just with water, and no stock, however, if you must. Third, spoon something into each bowl when serving. I keep on hand a lacto-fermented mint and cilantro chutney with roasted cumin seeds; a simple fresh chutney of chopped mint, cilantro, roasted cumin seeds, salt and lime juice (with a chopped fresh chili, if you’re partial to fire in your chutney) will also do the trick. I usually spoon on some cucumber raita, too. If you can’t make a raita, stir in a spoonful of crème fraiche, sour cream or Greek yogurt. This tastes great the next day, but the lentils are pulses, which break down almost immediately, so the soup doesn’t keep much longer than that. You’ll eat it all anyway, so that shouldn’t be a problem. I’ve included some tips in the notes, by the way, on making this in larger quantities. Also, as mentioned in the tags, this can easily be adapted for vegans, so it could be an ideal starting point for a great meal where vegans, vegetarians and meat/fish lovers will be present. Add a brown basmati + cashew + cumin pilaf, a meat or fish curry for the omnivores, two or three good chutneys, some garlic-y naan, a fresh green salad with a lime/cumin vinaigrette, and you'll please everyone. Enjoy!! - AntoniaJames - AntoniaJames

Food52 Review: The red lentil base here is a soothing blank canvas; one that AntoniaJames matches with the vegetable of the week, cauliflower, but also instructs cooks on how to make their own with an almost infinite combination of pairings, produce and preserves. I can attest to satisfying additions of roasted winter squash, spicy chutney and cooling cucumber raita and look forward to keeping this quick and easy base in my winter soup rotation. - cheese1227 - A&M

Serves 4, with some leftovers

• This recipe is a Community Pick!
• This recipe was entered in the contest for Your Best Dirt Cheap Dinner
• This recipe was entered in the contest for Your Best Lentils
• This recipe was entered in the contest for Your Best Cauliflower Recipe

Tags: adaptable, curry, indian, One-Pot Wonders, serves a crowd, Vegetarian, Vegetarian