Spicy Lentil Soup
A comforting, thick soup--sweet with an underlying spicy flavor. Serve with a crisp, fresh salad
and a chunk of whole grain bread and you have created the perfect light meal.

What You'll Need
extra virgin olive oil
2-3 cloves fresh garlic, finely minced
1 small yellow onion, diced
sea salt
1 carrot, diced
1 small sweet potato, diced
1 small dried red chili, crushed
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon tumeric
1 cup green or brown lentils, sorted, rinsed well
1 bay leaf
4-5 cups spring or filtered water
2 teaspoons white miso
2-3 sprigs fresh basil, finely minced, for garnish

Instructions
Place a small amount of oil in a soup pot, with garlic and onions and turn heat to medium.
When the onions begin to sizzle, add a pinch of sea salt and saute for 2 minutes. Add carrot
and sweet potato, another pinch of salt and saute until shiny with oil. Add chili, cumin and
tumeric and stir well. Add lentils, bay leaf and water, cover and bring to a boil. Reduce heat
to low and cook until lentils are quite soft, about 45 minutes. Remove a small amount of broth,
dissolve miso and stir back into soup. Remove bay leaf and simmer soup, uncovered for 3-4 minutes.
Stir basil into soup and serve immediately. Makes 5-6 servings.