Red Lentil Tomato Soup

The ultimate comfort food for me is tomato soup. When I’m upset or stressed, there is nothing better than a nostalgic tomato soup. There is a restaurant near my apartment that used to have an amazing tomato soup on their menu, and they always topped it with fresh ricotta. I took a page out of their book with mine this week, but a delicious grilled cheese would also go perfectly on the side. Added in red lentils to keep it hearty and a bit more filling than the classic!

---

Red Lentil Tomato Soup

Serves 4, 30-45 mins cook time

Ingredients:

1 tbsp olive oil

1 onion, chopped

2 cloves of garlic, roughly chopped

2 carrots, diced

1/2 tsp smoked paprika

1 x 28 oz can of whole, peeled tomatoes (ideally San Marzano)

1.5 cups water

Parmesan rind (optional)

1/2 cup red lentils

1 cup milk

1 tsp dried basil (or handful of fresh!)

Salt n pepper to taste

Method:

1. In a large pot or Dutch oven, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add onion, garlic and carrots and sautee until onions are softened (5-7 mins).

2. Add smoked paprika and let it cook out for 1-2 mins.

3. Add canned tomato, water and stir. Cover and simmer until carrots are tender. If you have a Parmesan rind in your freezer, add it now!

4. Once carrots have softened, add red lentils, stir and cover for another 15 mins or until lentils are soft.

5. Remove parm rind and transfer to a blender (or use a hand blender!). Add milk and basil and blend until smooth.

6. Taste and adjust seasoning.

7. Serve with fresh ricotta, olive oil or other topping of choice (perhaps, grilled cheese?!)

Tangy Tomato Chutney

Brunch has become a staple for me on weekends since moving to Toronto. Most of the time I elect to make brunch at home, but when I go out, my place of choice is The Corner Place down by the St. Lawerence Market. With a strong aversion to waiting in lines, my friend and I have made a bit of a ritual out of going to this hidden gem and enjoying their menu that highlights fresh ingredients from the market across the street. Their St. Lawerence Benny is my regular order; featuring a tangy, sweet and savoury tomato chutney, smoked cheddar and creamy hollandaise.

This recipe is my attempt at recreating the flavours of my brunch-out favourite. Highly recommend serving on English muffins, with some nice old cheddar, bacon and soft poached eggs. This would also make a great condiment on sandwiches or your next cheese board.

---

Tangy Tomato Chutney

40 minutes

If making for brunch, I get the chutney started before anything else. The longer you cook the chutney on a lower heat, the deeper the flavour will be. I get to step 2, and then I’ll initiate the other elements of my brunch (bacon, eggs, etc).

Ingredients

2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1 red onion, thinly sliced

2 large garlic cloves, minced (or 3-4 small ones)

2 large tomatoes (or 3-4 medium), diced (yields about 2 cups of diced tomato)

½ tsp - 1 tsp of red pepper flakes

2 tbsp red wine vinegar

2 tbsp maple syrup

Salt n pepper

Method

1. In a medium saucepan, heat olive oil, red onion and minced garlic over medium-low heat. Continue to cook until onions are translucent and buttery, about 7 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

2. Add diced tomato to the saucepan, and continue to cook on medium until tomatoes break down and become stew-like, darkening in colour. This will take some time - about 20-25 minutes.

3. Add red pepper flakes and vinegar, increasing the heat to medium-high to boil off the vinegar. Your eyes may sting a little during this step - vinegar can be strong! Takes 3-5 minutes.

4. Finally, add in maple syrup and continue cooking for 1-2 minutes until the syrup is well integrated.

5. Taste and adjust your seasoning with salt and pepper.

6. Serve warm or room temperature, or put into the fridge for future use.