Lentil Soup à la Fort Defiance | Matt Fleming
Back in 2013, I decided to start offering a “soup of the day” on the menu at Fort Defiance, so I asked chef Matt Fleming to come up with a bunch of soup recipes. The first one he made for me was a lentil soup. I tasted it — it was warming, complex, so savory, and delicious — and I said, “New plan. We’re going to keep this soup on the menu forever.” And we did! This may be our most requested recipe, and I’m happy to say that once you have the spices in hand, it comes together pretty quickly. If you like, you can garnish with a dollop of crème fraîche and some toasted pine nuts, the way we used to. Perfect for a damp autumn day like today. – St. John Frizell
½ cup olive oil
2 red onions, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 ½ Tbsp coriander, toasted and ground
1 tsp cumin, toasted and ground
½ tsp cayenne
½ tsp ginger, ground
¼ tsp cinnamon, ground
¼ tsp red chili pepper
⅛ tsp allspice, ground
1 lb. French green lentils
14-16 oz crushed tomatoes
1-2 Tbs. salt
Heat olive oil and sauté onion and garlic for 5-10 minutes. Add spices and toast in oil for 30 seconds. Add lentils and 2 quarts water; bring to a boil and simmer for 20-30 minutes, until lentils are cooked. Add tomatoes, and season with salt.
