Mexican Red Lentil Soup

If I had to choose one thing to eat for the rest of my life.. It'd probably be this soup. 'Nough said.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cup red lentils (rinsed)
1 Tbl coconut oil
2 cloves garlic (minced)
2 stalks celery (chopped)
1 medium sized yellow onion (chopped)
1 red pepper (chopped)
1 can diced tomatoes
3 cups vegetable broth
2 Tbl Chili powder
1 tsp chipotle powder
2 tsp smoked paprika
2 lemons worth or about 1/3 cup lemon juice
salt and pepper to taste

Toppings:
Chopped cilantro (the more the better....)
Sliced avocado
Cashew sour cream (recipe below)


Process:
Rinse lentils and put them in a small pot. Bring to a boil. Remove from heat and leave pot covered. Set aside. in a large pot, heat oil. Saute onion, garlic, celery, and red pepper until all are softened. Add in spices and tomatoes. Dump in the lentils and vegetable broth. Let simmer for 15 mins. Just before serving, stir in the lemon juice. Serve topped with cilantro, avocado, and coarse salt and pepper. Cashew sour cream is a great, tangy addition.



CASHEW SOUR CREAM:

Ingredients:
1 cup raw cashews (soaked in water for 1 hr.)
almond or coconut milk to help blend
lemon juice to taste (around 2 Tbl)

Process:
Discard water and place cashews in a blender. Add just enough milk to get the cashews to blend smoothly. Add lemon juice to taste.


♥ E