Vegetarian Cuisine

TOMATO, RED LENTIL and BARLEY SOUP

A thick hearty fragrant soup that is tasty and filling. Balanced combination of pulses and vegetables.

Ingredients:

1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 tsp coriander  seeds
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/4 tsp ground turmeric
2 tsp fresh grated finger root
1 diced celery stick
150 grams rutabaga, finely diced
150 grams celery root finely diced
1 large diced carrot
3 large tomatoes, skinned and chopped
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 sprigs rosemary
2 bay leaves
1 litre hot vegetable stock or water
60 grams pot barley, rinsed
115 grams red lentils, rinsed and soaked in water 30 minutes
2-3 tablespoons fresh chopped parsley to serve

Directions:

1. In small heated frying pan add cumin and coriander seeds and fry, dry, over medium heat 1 minute or till fragrant.
2. Grind seeds to powder with pestle and mortar.
3. Heat olive oil in frying pan and add ground spices, ginger and turmeric. Fry 1-2 minutes.
4. Add celery, rutabaga, celery root and carrots, stir fry 4-5 minutes. Add tomatoes, cook 2-3 minutes.
5. Rinse pot barley in cold running water, add to pot with rosemary, bay leaves, hot stock or water, bring to boil.
6. Reduce heat to medium and cook 20 minutes.
7. Drain soaked lentils and add to pot.
8. Stir, bring to boil, reduce heat and simmer about 25 minutes or till lentils cooked.
9. Add stock or water to soup if too thick.
10. Remove bay leaves and rosemary sprigs and serve soup while hot, scattered with chopped parsley.

This recipe is an edited contribution for the Sivananda Gurugram, sourced from The Yoga Cookbook: Food for Body and Mind – Recipes from the Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Centres” 1999.

By admitting your faults before others, you remove the effects of bad actions. It serves as a Prayaschitta or expiatory action. – Sri Swami Sivananda