Friday, March 15, 2013

French Fridays with Dorie - Orange-Scented Lentil Soup


Today the recipe for the French Fridays with Dorie Group is Orange-Scented Lentil Soup.




Dorie suggests lentils du Puy for this soup, a small slate-green lentil with a delicate blue marbling.




Puy lentils have enjoyed a big comeback lately and as this delicious and nutritious soup shows, with good reason. Puy lentils are considered by many to be the best lentils because of their unique peppery flavor and the fact they hold their shape during cooking. They are the only lentil to be identified by area of cultivation, grown in the Le Puy region of France.




Serve the Puy lentils hot or cold as a salad starter or as an accompaniment to poultry, meat or fish dishes, or use them in soups (as for this recipe) or casseroles.




However, I think that the Puy lentils could also successfully be replaced by Green lentils. They also retain their shape well during cooking and their mild flavor and soft, mealy texture make them suitable for many dishes such as soups, casseroles, vegetable bakes and stuffed vegetables. Green lentils are the ones that I choose when I cook my traditional German version of lentil soup, the "Linsensuppe".




These days, lentils grace the menus of many high-end restaurants. But still we do not seem to use them enough. They are cheap, nutritious (protein, carbs, fibre, vitamin B and iron) and versatile and very tasty. In my house, I will use them at least twice a month. They are especially valuable in winter, when fresh homegrown vegetables are not so abundant.




The building blocks of Dorie´s lentil soup are onion, celery, carrots, chicken stock (preferably homemade), orange peel (organic, of course), black peppercorns, coriander seeds, a clove, and some fresh ginger. This lentil soup is very comforting with all those warming spices that are given a delicious lift by a topping of some nice and thick Greek yogurt or some sour cream or crème fraîche.




The mouth-watering, crisp bacon slices that you should serve alongside the soup by placing them on the rim of the soup bowl, also make a wonderful addition. Hearty and delicious, this Orange-Scented Lentil Soup will warm you up from head to toe.

 Dorie states in her recipe that the soup should be (partially) puréed but I would never purée my lentil soup completely, only a very small portion of it because we love our lentil soup, be it French or Italian or German, with lots of chunks of vegetables.




The last thing before serving the soup is the above-mentioned dollop of crème fraîche, the bacon slice and some organic orange rind…




….and together with a loaf of good crusty sourdough bread you will have a full meal.




Warming and substantial, this makes a very satisfying meal and to see how this hearty Orange-Scented Lentil Soup was prepared by the other members of the French Fridays with Dorie group, please click here.


Sources:
  • Soup bowl with deer design  from “Jet by Ter Steege” (http://www.worldofjet.com)
  • Deer figurines called "Rothirsch" (red deer) and "Rothirschkuh" (red doe) from "Schleich" (http://www.schleich-s.com)
  • Checkered tablecloth  from "Dille Kamille" ( http://www.dille-kamille.nl)
  • Silver soup spoons, wooden platter, wooden napkin rings all "vintage" and part of my collection





36 comments:

  1. Lovely write-up. I like your bacon garnish and really like your crusty bread! Your setting accentuates the natural goodness of this soup...so beautiful. Looks like a spot where I'd especially enjoy an outing and with a prepared place where I'd love to stop and savor your meal.

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    1. Kris, how very kind of you - what a wonderful comment, thank you. We had a snowstorm that lasted for a few days and this soup just hit the spot...and the sun came out briefly, time to take those pictures.

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  2. They way you `animate´ your posts with figures is always charming Andrea! This was a good soup, even though I couldn´t find lentils du puy. And that bread looks amazing, it makes me want to go buy some! Have a wonderful weekend.

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    1. Paula, "animation" is the way to go sometimes...I was looking to create a "rustic atmosphere" for this very rustic and substantial soup.

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  3. Beautifully done! Love the bacon garnish and the curl of orange peel...you have me longing to make this soon again....and soon!

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    1. Thanks, Liz, this French Lentil Soup was a huge hit at our house - even the youngest taste tester loved it - it is a nice and simple recipe that has a definite "rustic" appeal to it.

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  4. Good for you not pureeing for once I followed the recipe... no point in pureeing and it made the soup look like, well look like it had already been eaten, if you know what I mean. Beautiful soup.

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    1. Diane, sorry to hear that your soup did not really look as appealing as you would have liked - hopefully it tasted good.

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  5. My favorite German lentil soup comes from Meyers Feinkost here in Frankfurt. It (of course) has sausage and a hint of thyme and I'm pretty sure a good helping of cream. My husband was away all week so he hasn't tried Dorie's lentil soup yet, but I can bet that he will be confused by the fact that there isn't any sausage in it:-)

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    1. Rose, well, those Germans do like their pork products, don´t they?!

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  6. Your soup looks beautiful…and so beautifully presented! Love the pretty setting and the gorgeous bread!!
    Have a wonderful weekend, Andrea!

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    1. Thank you, Kathy, it is always important to me to present food in a nice and different way - it seems to open the eyes and mind to a whole new way of looking at and tasting new things.

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  7. Anything with lentils and a hint of orange sounds like such a lovely soup! And of course...the bread! I'm always a sucker for a loaf of artisan bread! These bowls just delicious (no surprise) and I can't wait to try the recipe. Thank you for sharing. I hope you have a bright and happy weekend!

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    1. Monet, thanks so much, lentil soup with a hint of orange is indeed a delicious kind of warming comfort-style type of soup.

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  8. Love your photographs. Beautiful presentation of the soup. Lentil soup is a favorite at my house. Have a nice weekend.

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    1. Geraldine, thank you, lentil soup has been a constant at our table for as long as I can think - is delicous and healthy, just perfect family food.

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  9. I've never cooked lentils at home yet (I had it outside) because my family are not much of a fan. Your lentil soup is so beautiful with the curl of orange peel and everyone will be interested when served like this! I'd love to have a big bowl of soup.

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    1. Nami, thanks so much for commenting - the thing with lentils is that they are fantastic for impromptu meals. They last ages in the cupboard and, unlike dried beans, don't need soaking. They cook quickly - though the longer they've been stored, the longer they will need. We eat them in lots of ways all year round. And lentils can also function as the vegetable component of a meal or enhance other seasonal vegetables.

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  10. This may be one of your best Posts yet, Andrea, Gorgeous pictures and I love all the props. Your food looks lovely, as usual, and you always tell me more than I knew about the products in Dorie's recipes. I like this also and will make it again when I get to Colorado (two weeks - so excited) and it is chilly. Still Winter. I made this soup in 80 degree temperature here in Nevada this week. That bread - gorgeous. For Lent, I am allowing myself only one slice of bread a day with hopes of having two no-bread days. I haven't gotten to the no-bread days yet but God will understand. I just know it. I am looking forward to seeing all you Easter foods and baked goods in the coming weeks. Hi to the female bunnies who live at your house.

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    1. Mary, thank you very much for oyur kind comment - the idea of eating just one slice of bread a day would not really be something that my home crowd would enjoy - too many wonderful, tempting kinds of bread available around here. So, respect! I said "hello" to the girls, they will be on Easter holidays starting on Friday - and last but not least, I actually managed to go through two Kitchen Aids this month and one stove - I am almost without working kitchen appliances - just went to the store to look for some new ones. Hopefully, my Easter baking plans will not be totally cancelled.

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  11. I love the way you have presented this week's recipe. It looks absolutely delicious and the bread is beautiful. I love lentils and
    Hubby and I eat them quite often, they make a wonderful side dish for many a meal.

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    1. Nana, thank you very much - we did have a lot of fun with this hearty, delicious soup and the sun peeked through the clouds just long enough for a nice photo session.

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  12. Wow, comfort food at its best! This soup was so hard to make pretty, but you make it look beautiful! Nice work with this one!

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    1. Sara, thank you very much - this lentil soup was indeed comfort in a bowl and I had a nice time making this soup look a bit "rustic" because that´s basically what it is.

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  13. Andrea, I'm a huge fan of lentils myself, especially Puy lentils. I loved your post and photos, especially the lovely deer watching over the soup. I'd like to try the traditional German version. Have you posted a recipe for that one? Have a great weekend!

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    1. Betsy, so glad that you liked this post - no recipe posted yet but I will translate my favorite recipe for the German Lentil Soup tomorrow and mail it to you directly. Have a great Sunday!

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  14. I haven't cooked with lentils, although I've bookmarked a few recipes to try. I'll be adding this one to the collection - it looks awesome!

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    1. Beth, thanks so much - you should give lentils a try, they are delicious, nutritious and so very easy to prepare. And this is only one of the many wonderful lentil recipes.

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  15. I wish I could sit right down at that table and eat the soup and bread...and play around with those cute little deer - your kids are SO lucky !!! Love love love the photos, the info you shared about the ingredients and as always - the inspiration you provide. And why am I not surprised that you are wise, organized and creative enough to serve lentils twice month ? This recipe had me scratching my head at why I have not prepared these (in any form) in a while. Great job ~

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    1. Tricia, thank you for the wonderful comment - lentils just seem to play an important part in European meal plans, that´s all. I have always enjoyed them in soups as well as in salads and I am just lucky that the kids do to, they request lentil soup on a regular basis.

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  16. The soup is lovely - but that loaf of bread is gorgeous.
    I had not ever had lentils until the last couple of years, but I have really come to enjoy them. I was surprised at how much my children have come to appreciate them as well.

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    1. Thanks, Cher - how nice that your children have started appreciating lentils as well - it is always nice when kids are "adventurous" eaters, no matter what their age.

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  17. Your soup looks so much better than mine. I wish I had been smart and not pureed it as much! The bread looks absolutely incredible, did you make it? I love sourdough, but have never tried to make it.

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    1. Jora - puréeing this lentil soup seems to be very much a question of personal preference - we just happen to like chunky lentil soup and it is more appealing to the eye too. As far as the sourdough bread is concerned, since you need a so-called "starter" it can be a bit tricky but I was lucky enough to find an artisinal flour mill and the delightful owners are is always willing to share some of their starter for sourdough bread!

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  18. As always, such an outstanding job with your post. Love the way the light was shining in your photos...just a beautiful presentation of a rustic soup. Perfect after a day outdoors in the cold weather.

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    1. Karen, this is indeed a wonderful and rustic soup and it is quite delicious with the spices and the hint of orange - but then again, we love lentil soups so much, always.

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