Curried Red Lentil Soup

1 cup red lentils, well rinsed and drained

4 cups water or vegetable stock

Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer, uncovered for about 20 minutes until lentils are cooked.

In a large frying pan cook:

1 tbsp butter

1 onion, chopped

3 stalks of celery finely chopped

2 garlic cloves, chopped

1 medium carrot, diced

Cook for about 20 minutes.

Then add:

generous handful of parsley or cilantro, chopped

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

1 tablespoon curry powder

1/4 teaspoon paprika

1 teaspoon salt, or to taste

Add to the cooked lentils and let the soup simmer, covered, for another 10 minutes, stirring occasionally and adding more water if necessary to achieve your desired consistency.

Remove from heat and if you want the soup smoother, blend a portion of the soup with a hand blender or in a food processor or countertop blender. Serve hot. Top with sour cream and/or chopped green onions.

Makes 4 to 6 servings