Splendid Sunshine and Spiced Lentil Soup with Lime and Cinnamon

I think dandelions are awfully cheerful, particularly when the setting sun makes them glow. This one blazed at me from the roots of a tall cedar outside my window this evening. Isn't it lovely? :-)

After days of wild wind, hail, and rain, the sun came out today in all its splendor, brightening landscapes and hearts. Last night I was a whirling dervish of cooking and dish-washing, but tonight I slowed down and rested. I strolled to the creek bank, closing my eyes and breathing deeply as the breezes brought scents of sap and green and flower from the woods. I leaned back against an obliging cedar tree, basking in the warmth of the setting sun.

Then I looked up, marveling at the lacy patterns of tree branches etched against the sky.

All too soon it was time to eat and start working my way through the boxes stacked in my living room. So I poured myself a glass of chilled Aussie white into a Mason jar - I haven't found my wine glasses yet :-) - ate my dinner and got to work.

I'm pleased as punch to have sorted through FOUR boxes and tossed two bags of papers and trash. :-) Hooray! It feels so good. :-)

And now I get to sit down with my tea and write to you dear folks. :-) Last week I promised to share the new soup recipe I tried, and today is the day! :-) I was in the mood for lentils, so I looked through my cookbooks and found a recipe called "Garlicky Lentil Soup" that sounded good. I was halfway through making it and waiting for the lentils to get soft enough when my eye strayed to the page right next to it and lurched to a halt on "Spiced Lentil Soup." A quick glance at the ingredient list confirmed that my allegiance was about to sway. :-) Thankfully the first few steps were virtually identical, so I hurriedly added in the extra ingredients and was set.

Ohhh, it was GOOD! :-) The lentils are simmered with the usual accomplices: garlic, onion, tomato, but then the fun begins with the addition of turmeric, cumin, cardamom and cinnamon. After all that goodness is simmered for a while, you add creamy coconut milk and fresh lime juice and shew, it's yummy. :-)

Spiced Lentil Soup with Lime and Cinnamon
(Adapted from Soup: Superb Ways with a Classic Dish)

Ingredients:

2 onions, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
4 tomatoes, roughly chopped (I used canned, diced tomatoes)
1/2 tsp ground turmeric (I didn't have any and it tasted great anyways)
1 tsp ground cumin
6 cardamom pods
1/2 cinnamon stick
1 cup red or green lentils, rinsed and drained
3 3/4 cups chicken broth
1 14 oz can coconut milk
1-2 Tbsp lime juice
salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Ground cinnamon or cumin seeds to garnish

Directions:

1. Put onions, garlic, tomatoes, turmeric, cumin, cardamom pods, cinnamon stick, lentils and water into a saucepan. Bring to boil, lower heat, cover and simmer gently for 20 minutes or until lentils are soft. 
2. Remove cardamom pods and cinnamon stick, then puree mixture in a blender or food processor. Return to soup pot.
3. Reserve a little of the coconut milk for garnish, and add remainder, with lime juice, to saucepan. Reheat soup gently without boiling.
4. Swirl in reserved coconut milk, garnish with cumin seeds or ground cinnamon and serve piping hot.