Ma Niche : Orange-Scented Lentil Soup : Not Quite Dorie's

For a while now I have been following Diane Balch's "French Fridays with Dorie." She is a proud member of the club and gives very clear and honest reviews on the recipes she tries. I really enjoy reading her posts and had bookmarked this particular recipe because unlike many other French recipes the Orange-Scented Lentil Soup seemed down-to-earth, cook-able yet chic. Of course with the limited supply of ingredients I had in hand and with Diane's review in mind, I modified the recipe a bit. so the version that you'll see here is not quite Dorie's though it is totally inspired by her's.

I figured that the essence of the soup was in simmering the veggies and the lentils along with strips of orange peels and spices. so i remained faithful to that part of the recipe. though instead of French lentils I used red lentils or masoor dal as we call it. and in place of coriander seeds I used a combination of Indian spices. namely, one whole anise star and ground roasted cumin. the result was delightful. even before tasting the soup I knew something wonderful was simmering in the pot.... the combined aroma of the oranges and the spices kept telling me so. and they really kept their promise. The soup was delicious. since the soup tasted delicious by itself I skipped the yogurt topping and the bacon all-together that were part of Dorie's recipe and we did not regret it at all. Also, I did not puree the soup. it felt like an unnecessary addition to the chores. i served the soup straight from the pot to the bowl... and before starting to slurp on our spoonfuls plucked out the anise star and cloves from it.. it was the perfect dinner along with the Partybrot bread( pictures and recipe coming up soon) i had baked..

now over to the recipe...

ingredients

1/4 cup masoor dal
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 small yellow onion, thinly sliced
1 celery rib, trimmed and thinly sliced (save the leaves from the stalk)
15 baby carrots, i diced half of them and thinly sliced the rest
3 cups chicken or vegetable broth (i used chicken broth)
1/2 strip orange peel, about 1 x 2 inches, white pith removed and thinly sliced
6 black peppercorns
1 whole anise star
2 whole cloves (the spice)
3/4 inch fresh ginger, peeled and grated
1/2 orange cut into small pieces and skin removed
leaves from 1 celery stalk finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds, roasted and ground
salt and pepper to taste (since the cooked dal and the chicken broth i used had enough salt in it, i did not add anymore salt.)

what i did

first of all i cooked the lentil/dal to a mash. for this, i pressure cooked it in 2 1/4 cup water along with some salt for 4 whistles then simmered the cooker for 10 minutes before switching of the heat. (i often cook the dals this way for soups. it helps in getting a thin uniform consistency after being simmered with the added chicken/vegetable broth and veggies.)
next in a saucepan, i heated the olive oil. then added the onions, celery and carrots in it. cooked them together over medium low flame until the vegetables were tender.
next i added the cooked lentils, chicken broth, orange peels, peppercorns, anise star, cloves and grated ginger to the cooked vegetables, covered the pot and simmered the broth for about 20 minutes, until all the ingredients looked well combined and a nice aroma lingered around the pot.
i then added the orange pieces and finely chopped celery leaves and simmered the soup for another 10-15 minutes before switching of the heat and stirring in the roasted ground cumin.

at this point I tasted a spoonful. thought it was perfect just like that. so i went ahead and served it in the bowls and minuted later delighted over the subtle flavors of the soup.

Sending this to the April Challenge of No Croutons Required, a monthly vegetarian soup and salad challenge hosted jointly between Jacqueline from Tinned Tomatoes and Lisa from Lisa's Kitchen.

Also sending to the event,

Bon Vivant #14 - Spring Surprises @ Sumee's Culinary Bites , FR Event ~ Bookmarked recipes, an event announced by Swathi of Zesty South India Kitchen and hosted by Pallavi of Cook, Eat, Burp

and the following weekly food events :
Monday Food: Marvelous Mondays @ This Gal Cooks, Meatless Monday @Veggie Mama's, Meatless Monday My Sweet and Savory, Just Another Meatless Monday @ Hey What's for Dinner Mom

Tuesday Food: Tempt my Tummy @Blessed with Grace, Totally Tasty Tuesday @ Mandy's Recipe Box, Tasteful Tuesday Party @ Nap Time Creations, Show Me What You Got @ Our Delightful Home, Hand Made Tuesday @ Ladybug Blessings, Share it Link Party @ Winthrop Chronicles, Hearth and Soul Blog Hop, Slightly Indulgent Tuesday

Wednesday Food : Wow Me Wednesday, What's Cooking Wednesday @ Confessions of Overworked Mom, Cast Party Wednesday @ Lady Behind the Curtain , Wednesday Whatsit @White Lights on , Show and Share @ Semi Homemade Mom, Wonderful Food Wednesdays at @ Home Take 2, Seasonal Celebration @ Natural Mother's Network, Whole Foods Wednesday #98