Lentil Soup with Prunes and Apricots

With the autumn weather upon us here in southwestern Ontario, I've been inspired to make more warming soups of late. This sweet and sour soup is adapted from a unique little cookbook entitled Small Bites. Once the chopping is done, it simply simmers on the stove top, allowing you time to prepare the rest of your meal. I served it with polenta and mushroom ragout for a hearty, nourishing and warming delicious dinner. It's a fairly thick soup, especially if you serve it the next day, so feel free to add more stock to suit your tastes. If you are not using vegetable stock, increase the amount of salt and add a few teaspoons of celery seed. If desired, garnish with pomegranate seeds.

Lentil Soup with Prunes and Apricots

Recipe by Lisa Turner Adapted from Small Bites Published on October 28, 2007 Simple, thick and nourishing, hot and slightly sweet spiced soup with red, green and yellow lentils and dried prunes and apricots Preparation: 20 minutes Cooking time: 1 hour 15 minutes Print this recipe Ingredients: 3 tablespoons olive oil 2 onions, chopped 2 carrots, finely chopped 2 to 3 cloves garlic, minced or crushed 1-inch piece fresh ginger, minced or grated 1/2 teaspoon sea salt 1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper 6 dried prunes, pitted and roughly chopped 8 dried apricots, roughly chopped 1 heaping teaspoon ground cumin 1 teaspoon ground coriander 1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom 1/4 teaspoon of ground cloves 2 cinnamon sticks 6 cups vegetable stock or water 1/2 cup red lentils, rinsed 1 1/2 cups green lentils, rinsed 1/4 cup yellow split peas, rinsed juice of 1 lemon (3 tablespoons) small handful of fresh mint, chopped small handful of fresh parsley, chopped Instructions: Heat the oil over medium-high heat in a large saucepan. Add the onions, carrots, ginger, garlic, salt and pepper, and sauté for 10 minutes or until the vegetables are softened. Add the prunes and dried apricots, ground spices and cinnamon sticks. Continue to sauté for a few more minutes and then pour in the stock or water. Stir in the lentils and split peas, bring to a boil, and immediately reduce the heat to low. Simmer, covered, for 1 hour or until the lentils are very soft. Stir occasionally. Now add the lemon juice, fresh mint and most of the fresh parsley, and taste for seasoning. Discard the cinnamon sticks and purée a small portion of the soup if desired. Serve hot garnished with the remaining parsley. Makes 6 to 8 servings