Zucchini Lentil Soup

I’m a really boring cook. I tend to make the same things over and over again. When I was about to have Samara, I begged my friend Cordula (Cordy) to make me some interesting food and freeze it so that when the baby was born, I could have a break from cooking. I read this was a good thing to do, before I had Ari, but I never ended up doing it. Cordy is an amazing cook, and a vegetarian, so I knew she’d come up with some yummy inventive dishes for us to try.

One of the meals she made was zucchini lentil soup. I quickly became obsessed with it and begged her for the recipe. She kindly handed it over. The recipe originated from a woman named Rivkah Tuttle, a friend of Cordy’s whom I’ve never met, for the record. Ms. Tuttle, though we’ve never met, I adore your soup!

Addendum: Ms. Tuttle’s sister, Elisheva, informed me that this recipe is from Susie Fishbein’s “Kosher By Design Lightens Up.”

Without further ado, here is the recipe for zucchini lentil soup, with pictures:

Zucchini Lentil Soup

Makes 6 servings
Don’t overcook or the lentils will start come apart.

Ingredients
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 large sweet onion, such as Vidalia, cut into ¼ inch pieces
4 cloves fresh garlic, coarsely chopped
½ teaspoon dried sage
¼ teaspoon dried thyme
2 large or 3 medium zucchini, with skin, cut into ½ inch pieces
¼ cup fresh dill, stems trimmed, loosely packed
6 cups chicken or vegetable stock (I use vegetable stock)
1 cup dried red lentils

Soup Directions
Heat the olive oil in a large soup pot over medium-low heat. Add the onion, garlic, sage and thyme. Cook until the onion is translucent; do not allow it to brown.

Add the zucchini and dill. Saute for 4-5 minutes, until zucchini is a little shiny.

Add the stock. Simmer for 15-20 minutes, or until the zucchini is soft.

Using an immersion blender, right in the pot, puree the soup until creamy. This can also be done in batches in a blender. I use a regular old blender and my soup turns out fine.