The end of the street that I live on curves up into a slight hill, with the streets on either side much lower, giving you the ability to see over the tops of all of the neighboring trees. When I walk the dogs in the morning I go up to this spot, look to my right and see the beautiful white moon, and then look to my left to see the sun starting to rise along the horizon. It is such a magical moment, seeing both the blazing sun and the waning moon, directly across from each other, saying good morning.
I cherish these mornings, cherish the time I get with the dogs, and really just cherish the time of the day when people haven’t woken up and gotten ready yet. When the streets are pretty much empty, quiet, still. I love waking up early, before the rest of the world. It’s my favorite time of the day to cook, because I can focus only on that, with no interruptions. My mornings are sacred.
This winter was beautifully warm in Texas, but for this last week it became slightly chilly, so I decided to make one final soup of the season. I think the only thing I like about winter are the foods – warm soups are so much more satisfying to me than cold salads. I made this early in the morning, before my magical moon walk, and then let the flavors meld in the fridge all day while at work. I reheated it tonight, and during the last 5 minutes of heating it, added in the chopped spinach. I love the flavors and colors of this soup. It’s satisfying on its own and even better with a side of cornbread or corn chips, and topped with jalapenos.
Winter Moon Lentil Soup
Ingredients
- 1 white onion
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 tbsp. paprika
- 1 tbsp. cumin
- 1/2 tsp. turmeric
- 2 c. red lentils
- 7 c. vegetable broth
- 1 sweet potato
- 28 oz whole tomatoes (or diced)
- 1 red bell pepper
- 1 green bell pepper
- 15 oz. kidney beans
- 2-3 c. spinach
Instructions
- Dice the onion, mince the garlic, and place in a large stock pot along with the paprika, cumin and turmeric. Cook on medium low for 7-10 minutes, stirring often and watching to ensure the onion doesn't burn.
- Chop the peppers and potato, and add to the pot along with the lentils, vegetable broth, whole or diced tomatoes, and kidney beans. Add 3 cups of water, turn up the heat and bring to a boil, then lower into a simmer and cook for 40 minutes.
- Chop the spinach, and in the last few minutes of cooking, add it to the pot. Stir well until the spinach has wilted, and then remove from heat.