Eating pulses may not be top of mind post-fall and winter. But Professional Chef Robin Leventhal (Meet Robin here) is here to share one of her favorite summertime pulse recipes, perfect for those warm days. Take it away, Robin:
When I developed this recipe, we had been making gazpacho at the school restaurant Capstone Kitchen (at Wine Country Culinary Institute where I teach), and I had never seen a chilled lentil soup, so I thought it would be a new spin that would challenge my creativity, which is paramount when it comes to recipe development. Now you might say that making a soup with lentils is an obvious choice, but this one is different – it’s cold vs. hot and creamy vs. stew-like.
When I’m concocting a new recipe, I always start with the question “What sounds good to me right now?” For this particular soup, I asked myself that question when it was 103 degrees outside, so naturally I wanted something refreshing, satisfying and light, that wouldn’t have me sweating over the stovetop.
I then asked myself “What do I have lying around to use?” At the time, my garden was yielding tomatillos, chilies, lemon cucumbers and herbs (mint, Thai basil and cilantro) aplenty. I combined the fresh veggies with green onions, a knob of ginger that I always keep in my freezer and a can of coconut milk and created a Thai-inspired homerun!
The combination of heat from the chilies, refreshing lime, stimulating ginger and velvety coconut milk is out of this world. I hope you enjoy it!
Chilled Lentil Ginger Lime Soup
Cook time: 20 minutes, plus time to cool
Yield: 1 ½ quarts
Recipe contributed by Chef Robin Leventhal
INGREDIENTS:
2 cups Sunrise Lentils, soaked for 15 minutes in water
2 cups Water
1 can Coconut milk
2 tablespoons Grapeseed or canola oil
½ cup Shallots, minced
1 cup Tomatillos, chopped
1 tablespoon Ginger, grated
1 teaspoon Lime zest
1/8 cup Lime Juice
2 teaspoons Salt
2 tablespoons Cilantro, chopped, plus sprigs for garnish
2 slivers Serrano chile, plus garnish
Scallions Slivered for garnish
Cucumber Slivered for garnish
DIRECTIONS:
- In a two-quart sauce pan on medium heat, add grapeseed oil and shallots and sauté until fragrant with the salt
- Add ginger and toast until fragrant, about three minutes, then add water, coconut milk and lentils
- Simmer for 10 minutes then add chopped tomatillos, cilantro and slivered serrano chilies
- Cook 10 minutes more until lentils are tender and falling apart
- Puree with an emulsion blender and add lime zest and juice, salt as needed
- Serve soup chilled and garnish with cilantro sprigs, sliced cucumber, serrano chili, lime and a drizzle of coconut milk. Adjust spice, cilantro and lime to your own palate.
VARIATIONS:
-Add poached prawns
-Add shredded leftover roasted chicken
-Add crushed peanuts
-Garnish with bean sprouts or lentil sprouts
-Garnish with slivered apple, especially a tart varietal like granny smith
-Serve with cold bean thread noodles for an even more substantial meal
