Creamy Apricot-Red Lentil Soup

This orange-on-orange soup vibrates with a vivid color and a subtle tangy-sweet flavor. Delicious hot, it is also equally good chilled. Makes about 5 1/2 to 5 3/4 cups.

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This orange-on-orange soup vibrates with a vivid color and a subtle tangy-sweet flavor. Delicious hot, it is also equally good chilled. Makes about 5 1/2 to 5 3/4 cups.

Servings
4

Ingredients

  • 1 cup hulled uncooked red lentils, well rinsed
  • 4 cups nonfat vegetable stock
  • 1 cup carrot juice
  • 1 cup nonfat plain yogurt
  • 6 large apricots
  • 2 tsp. ground cumin, or to taste
  • 2 tsp. garlic powder, or to taste
  • 1 tsp. onion powder, or to taste
  • 1/3 cup toasted cashews, coarsely chopped, for garnish, optional
  • 1/2 cup cilantro leaves, for garnish
  • 1/2 cup dried apricots, coarsely chopped, for garnish

Preparation

Put lentils and vegetable stock into a large saucepan, and bring to a boil over medium heat. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover pan and continue cooking for about 15 minutes more, or until lentils are tender. Remove from heat, and set aside.

Put 1 cup cooked lentils, carrot juice, yogurt, apricots, cumin, garlic powder, onion powder, salt and pepper into a blender or food processor, and process until smooth. Pour mixture back into pan, and reheat for 3 to 4 minutes.

To serve, ladle about 1 1/4 cups soup into individual bowls, and garnish with cashews, if using, cilantro leaves and apricots.

Nutrition Information

  • Calories 280
  • Carbohydrate Content 54 g
  • Cholesterol Content 0 mg
  • Fat Content 0 g
  • Fiber Content 8 g
  • Protein Content 16 g
  • Saturated Fat Content 0 g
  • Sodium Content 310 mg
  • Sugar Content 8 g