Lentil, Barley, and Coconut Soup
Of course I can't write about soup in June without giving the giant disclaimer that it's felt like March around here. I've talked to lots of people this week who report feeling low. I think we've been teased--a few great days in May, getting our hopes up for summer, then sucker-punched with this constant, COLD drizzle. It's good, however, for distracted gardeners who don't think to water their vegetable starts until they are barely hanging on. (I've heard about those kinds of gardeners. Can't imagine.)
I had to make a quick soup yesterday for a potluck tonight. Never a wasted moment in a mother's life. These are the sorts of soups for which I would never think of running to the store. It's got to come from the pantry. A jar of lentils, can of coconut cream, onions and garlic, the ubiquitous canned tomatoes. Presto. There were definitely more exciting things at the potluck--a raw corn salad with avocado (delicious, Steve!), an ambrosial apple cake Dara made, Geoff and Sheila's perfectly roasted chicken. So I'd never say this soup stole the show, but it fit the "vegetarian main dish in a flash" mandate and was pretty damn good. The Leftoverist still has it in her (in case you were wondering).
P.S. Any recommendations for good summer reads? A page-turner that's not too sad, but not total chick-lit? Fiction or non-fiction, maybe a female protagonist. Descriptions of food in the text are a plus. Deal-breaker: cannot include anything about kids being abused. I'm not in denial about that happening, but don't want to spend my whole summer sobbing into kleenex.
P.S.S. I have plenty of kitchen failures I don't write about here. It's a personal preference, I guess. I've noticed I don't particularly like reading about other bloggers' failures. For Pete's sake, I want recipes that work! But here's a few failures for you--Mark Bittman's whole wheat quick bread from Food Matters. Passable flavor, but an absolute murder weapon. Woe is she who gets hit over the head with that thing. And I tried making Italian pasta in my wok--way too much stuff in there, all steaming up to a pretty boring mess.
Lentil, Barley, and Coconut Soup
You can leave out the barley here and just use more lentils if you want, and you can leave out the coconut milk and sub more water (though you probably won't get as many compliments).
2 c. lentils, rinsed
1/2 c. barley
olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, finely diced
1 cloves garlic, minced
1" piece fresh ginger, finely chopped or minced
2 tsp. good quality garam masala
salt
pinch of red pepper flakes
juice of one lime
1 14 oz. can diced tomatoes
1 can coconut cream or 1 can coconut milk + 4 Tb. brown sugar
tomatoes and cilantro for garnish
In a large stockpot, saute onion in olive oil until softening, about five minutes. Add garlic, ginger, and garam masala and saute for about 5 minutes more, adding a splash of water if onions are sticking.
Add lentils, barley, and enough water to cover by about 3". Bring to a boil, then turn down to a lively simmer until lentils and barley are tender, 35-40 minutes, adding more water if needed. Add coconut cream, tomatoes, lime juice, red pepper flakes, and salt to taste. If you'd like your soup to be thinner, add a bit more water. It will thicken as it sits, too.
To serve, garnish with chopped tomato and cilantro.
June 9, 2010
Reader Comments (21)
I just wrote a comment for another blogger asking for foodie reads, so here it is copied over:
Julie & Julia is a great one if you haven't read it yet (the movie came out last year, but the book is better, IMO). It's about a food blogger cooking through Julia Child's Mastering the Art of French Cooking.
Ruth Reichl (former editor of Gourmet & NY Times food critic) has written several great memoirs, a lot about food.
The United States of Arugula is an interesting history of foodies in the US.
Oh, and Judith Jones's memoir is great, too - she was Julia Child's editor. The Tenth Muse is the name.
Fortune Cookie Chronicles -- really interesting research/non-fiction about Chinese food in America.
The Gastronomy of Marriage. what to cook when you're married to someone.
Taste of country cooking - edna lewis - great old fashioned southern cooking - her stories of growing up & what they ate.
Anything by Anthony Bourdain.
Non-foodie reads from my goodreads.com list (which is a neat site - sort of like Facebook for readers - handy list-making function that I use a lot to track what I read & what I want to read next):
The Kid - What Happened After My Boyfriend and I Decided to Go Get Pregnant - Dan Savage (sex advice columnist for The Stranger & other papers) -- his story of adopting a baby as a gay man with his partner - very touching.
Travels with Charley - Steinbeck
Middlesex - Jeffrey Eugenides - how to describe, well it's the story of a girl who grows up to realize she's not really a girl. questions what we know about gender & sex & goes back & forth in time in Detroit in a Greek family
Finally anything by David Sedaris.
Sarah--I've been enjoying Animal Vegetable Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver
I loved Peace like a River by Leif Engler
My friend keeps telling me to read 'A Year in Provence'
Traveling Mercies by Anne Lamott is raw, real & so very good.
I'm sure you'll get a good list to choose from, so I'll have to come back for the recommendations.
Why is the spoon in this photo upside-down? :)
Artistic license, silly!
Wow! Thanks, Maija!
This sounds delicious! It's freezing in Australia at the moment, so I'll have to make this at some point within the week.
If you haven't read Chocolat by Joanne Harris you simply must! Everyone has seen the movie but the book really is something else, her passion for food is amazing! Also the sequel Lollipop Shoes is amazing!.
I adore "Stephanie's Journal" by Stephanie Harris, she is an amazing Australian chef (Im not sure how big she is over there)...its all about her travels and lovely food.
Hi! I started reading your blog earlier this year (I found it from the Suddenly Sahm blog), and I just wanted to tell you how much I love it! I read Mark Bittman's book as well and have adopted his vegan-for-most-of-the-day lifestyle, and it has changed my life. I feel the best I have ever felt. I love love love all the vegetarian dishes you post. You are constantly giving me new things to try, which makes it easier to stick with the diet. Of course, I've made a lot of your meat dishes too (panko chicken legs? Yum.) Everything is always so good! I can't wait to try this soup next. Thanks so much for blogging. Keep up the great work!
Sarah, this sounds like yummy, different soup. Kind of like when I stumbled upon the Colophon's African Peanut soup years ago. I will make it soon, while the weather is still blah. I came across a book at Village Books a couple of years ago that I quite liked. It is written by Michael Tucker (LA Law). Living in a Foreign Language: A Memoir of Food, Wine and Love in Italy. Basically, when Michael and his wife Jill Eickenberry's youngest son goes off to college they decide to explore Italy. They find a sweet village and fall in love with the people, food and wine and end up buying a place and fixing it up. Michael's language can be a bit off-color at times, but if you can get past that, it's a great read and will make you want to go to Italy and set up house and drink wine. :)
Thanks for another great recipe!!! Have you ever read anything by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni? She is an Indian author who lives in the San Francisco area. Most of her stories are set in the bay area and in India. She has wonderful female characters and amazing descriptions of food that will leave you dying to go out for Indian food :-) I would highly recommend her. I think my favorite book by her is called "Queen of Dreams". I hear you on the not child abuse stuff -- as a mom I just can't take reading about it.
Oh I just wanted to second Maija's recommendation for anything David Sedaris. He is hysterical, and if you can listen to one of his audiobooks do it! The books are even funnier if you can listen to him read them. I really like "Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim."
I am still loving everything about this blog. I even gave a shout out to it on my blog yesterday.
I am a sucker for reading (what I get for being an English major in college) so I'd love to offer a recommendation.
As you said you don't want straight chick lit, I will avoid gushing about my first chick lit read of the summer (but the author is Emily Giffin if you're interested.) Something a little less chicky is I Loved, I Lost, I Made Spaghetti by Giulia Melucci. I could not put it down- seriously. Imagine making dinner while reading; that's how much I enjoyed it. She also includes several recipes- total score.
Also, I assume you've read Eat, Pray, Love, but something to throw out and she has a new book, Committed, which is about marriage and sounds dry, but is not and everyone I've recommended it to- single, married, divorced, etc. has loved it.
Happy Reading.
Love the addition of coconut - to shows what a stocked pantry can make! When I was a young single mom and poor, I used to buy a 5 pound bag of Idaho potatoes, bake them, wrap in foil and put in a basket with a container of .99 cent margarine and salt and pepper shakers - it was always a big hit - and cheap!
wow this sounds outstanding... what ethnic food is this Indian>
Have you all already read The Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet? Not a foodie book, but definitely locally set and historically accurate; Gary and I loved it and its characters! Lots to ponder.
i immediately knew what i was going to write, but now i know what's going in the bday package. :) you'll have to wait and see what the BEST SUMMER READ IS!! xo
Sarah - I just finished a great book and I think you'd really like it. "The Help"...takes place down South and is such a good story about strong women. You can borrow it if you want - I can give it to your mom. Just let me know...it is an easy read, too...take care!! Also, I second The Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet. Great book!
Hi Beth! How's motherhood going? My mom keeps talking about The Help as well...
Ooh...something to look forward to. You know how I love that. Remember last year when you met me at the park and gave me Baked? xo
I'm a big reader - I guess I should say I was before kids - and I LOVED Let the Great World Spin. It's not a beach read but it is absolutely one of the best books I have ever read. Like in my Top 10. My mom, dad, and husband have all read it and all loved it. I liked The Help as well - not quite as literary but a much easier read.
I second Animal, Vegetable, Miracle if you haven't read it. It's gently inspiring, even though it doesn't inform you of anything you don't already know. Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit by Jeanette Winterson is a lovely, poetic, quick read, and one of my all-time favorites.
Lovely resourceful soup. Can't wait to try it, since I have most of a can of coconut milk jarred in my refrigerator and tons of lentils that probably shouldn't stored in my pantry for too much longer. Thanks!
There is a book called "How to Cook a Tart", don't remember the author, but it has wonderful food imagery and a fun plot line. Try it out! Recipes thrown in for fun, too