Here's a really unique soup recipe that I happened upon recently on allrecipes.com. I reduced the amount of butter but otherwise kept the recipe as is. I especially like that this soup's sweetness is balanced with a bit of spiciness. The recipe calls for pureeing the soup, and it was very good that way, but next time I think I will try leaving it chunky and more "stew-like" for a change of pace. Either way, it's very healthy and very tasty!
1/2 tbls olive oil
1/2 tbls butter
1 medium yellow onion, diced
2 large sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped
3 large carrots, peeled and chopped
1 large apple, peeled, cored, and chopped
1/2 cup red lentils*
1/2 tsp fresh ginger, minced
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp paprika
4 cups vegetable broth (chicken broth may be substituted)
Plain yogurt for garnish (sour cream may be substituted)
Heat olive oil and butter in stockpot over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add onion, sweet potatoes, carrot, and apple. Reduce heat to medium. Cook until onion is translucent, about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Stir in all remaining ingredients, except yogurt. Bring mixture to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until lentils and vegetables are tender, about 30 minutes.
To Puree:
Working in batches, very carefully pour soup into blender, filling no more than halfway full. Begin with a few quick pulses before moving to puree.
If you have an immersion blender (Mine looks like this, and I love it!), simply puree in the stockpot.
Once soup is pureed, bring back to a simmer. Add water or milk to thin if desired. Ladle soup into bowls, and garnish with a dollop of plain yogurt.
*If you shop at HyVee, red lentils can be found in the bulk bin section of the Health Market department.
