Lentil recipes
Heat and sweetness: lentil, tomato and coconut soup. Last modified on Thu 5 Jan 2023 06. Lentil recipes only know that in this kitchen the year begins with a deep pot on the stove, the scent of sweet onions and thyme, of chicken stock and spices or of beans simmering with garlic and bay.
There are often lentils at this first lunch of the year, in a thick soup with smoked pancetta or in a ragout for lightly sauced ribbons of pappardelle. According to legend, lentils eaten on New Year’s Day will bring good fortune through the next 12 months, and I will happily include them in a deep bowl of broth. Lunching on soup seems appropriate for the first day of January, like baking bread. Both are at the heart and soul of this kitchen. This year’s soup is something of a hybrid, inspired by nothing other than what is in my kitchen cupboard and in the door of the fridge. Tiny brown pulses, a handful of tomatoes that were frankly past their best, a tin of coconut milk and several spoons of Lao Gan Ma, the addictively crisp, hot chillies in oil. The first day of the new year comes with frugal sustenance, but also a treat.
This time, a batch of citrus tarts, the filling a fudgy lemon custard, finished with slices of clementine. This January’s New Year soup brings heat and sweetness, with both coconut milk and crisp chilli seasoning. The brick red chilli oil sits in radiant, coin-like bubbles on the surface, so you get a nip of spice, then a spoonful of coconut milk to cool. This soup will sit happily in the fridge overnight, should you want to eat it on the stroke of midnight. Bring the stock to the boil in a medium pan and rain in the lentils.
As soon as the stock comes back to the boil, lower the heat slightly and let the lentils cook for 20 minutes or until they are just tender. They should still have a bit of bite to them. Peel and roughly chop the onions. Warm the oil in a large pan, add the onions and cook for a good 20 minutes over a moderate heat, until softened. Peel the garlic, slice thinly and add the onions. Roughly chop the tomatoes and stir into the onions with the tomato purée.
Leave the tomatoes to simmer, partially covered, until soft and squashy. Stir in the lentils and any stock from the pan and season with salt. Continue cooking for 10 minutes, then stir in the coconut milk and crispy chilli. As soon as the soup is thoroughly hot, serve in deep bowls. Filled with fudgy custard: clementine and lemon tarts. I use deep tart tins measuring 8-9cm across the base.
