Core Ingredients

• Canned lentils (this makes good leftovers, so consider making two cans if your pot has space).

• Water

• Salt

Preparation

• Drain the liquid from the can.

• Rinse the lentils, probably in the can. Lentils are wee and some of them will escape. It’s okay.

• Pour the lentils into the pot. Add maybe a can of water for every can of lentils. If you want it thicker, add less water. If you want it more soup- like, add more.

• Cook on medium heat, stirring occasionally so the lentils on the bottom don’t burn. Add more water if it gets thicker than you want it to be.

• If you add a lot of water and cook it just long enough to heat it, congratu- lations, you’ve made lentil soup!

• If you add less water and cook it until the lentils get really mushy, good job on your lentil stew.

• Add salt, more than you think you need.

Variations

• This also works with chickpeas instead of lentils.

• Lentils also come dried—you’ll need more water and much more time if you want to do it this way, though.

• Salt is great, but what about adding other spices too? Like pepper and curry powder? Or chili flakes? If you can get a hold of berbere, a fantastic Ethiopian and Eritrean spice mix, it works really well for this.

• Add a can of crushed tomatoes. Or some tomato paste from a tube.

Trust us.

• Add garlic and onions when you add the lentils. You can get these pre- chopped and frozen.

• Fresh garlic hack: Throw three or four garlic cloves into the water with the beans. Let them cook alongside the beans. Fish them out of the soup, and squeeze them out of their peels by hand. Stir the delicious garlic paste into the soup.

• Add frozen vegetables with the lentils. Frozen spinach is excellent here.

• Fresh vegetables need to cook for a bit longer, but they’ll be a tasty addi- tion.

• Add root vegetables if you can commit to standing beside the stove until they cook. Chop some potatoes, carrots, or sweet potatoes. You have to wash them but you don’t have to peel them.

• Serve over Rice or Couscous.