Warm up winter with this hearty lentil soup

By BRIAN MELTON

MCCLATCHY NEWSPAPERS

Nothing cuts the calories, warms the soul and even soothes those wintry sniffles like a big ol’ pot of glorious homemade soup.

Appreciating soup is in our genes, since the tradition of throwing stuff in a pot, adding liquid and heating the resulting goo over a fire goes back to mankind’s earliest days. In medieval times, English peasants kept a large pot of glop, called “pottage,” on the fire virtually 24/7, stirring in whatever grains, meats and assorted plant life came their way.

In fact, the English word “soup” made its way to Britain in the 17th century from the Latin “suppare,” meaning “to soak,” because many early soups were usually poured over a big chunk of crusty bread and then sopped up. Incidentally, the words “sop” and “supper” also derive from the original Latin. But since I’m the only one who finds this at all interesting, I’ll move on.

Soup comes in numerous varieties, many reflecting a proud cultural heritage. A few easy ones come to mind: Italian minestrone, Spanish gazpacho, New England chowder, Russian borscht, French onion and so on. Consistency is hard to define precisely, but generally ranges from clear (broth, consommee, bouillon and stock) to creamy (bisques, vichyssoise, tomato) to chunky (gumbo, meat stews and/or grain mixes, such as barley or lentil).

And there are no limits to ingredients, including fruit. Next summer, I want to make a recipe for chilled watermelon mint soup. But then I start pondering, is a cold soup really a soup at all? And if it has fruit in it, does it stop being a soup and start being a smoothie?

And what if you add vodka? Is it then a cocktail? Sometimes it’s best to just stick your fingers in your ears, go “lalalalalala” and not think about things like that.

Instead, let me give you the quick story behind today’s recipe — my mom’s lentil soup. Whoever wrote the joke — “What are you making for dinner, dear?” “Reservations!” — must have known Janice Melton. It’s not that she couldn’t cook; she just didn’t care to. But when we were kids, my brother Mickey and I used to beg her to make her grandmother’s German lentil soup.

We had three reasons for begging. First, it’s really good soup with a distinct, robust flavor. Second, it’s filling yet healthy (and as they say at the doctor’s office, “cleansing”). Finally, it can sometimes create massive flatulence, which we found gloriously funny and blamed on the dog.

But when mom pointed out that we didn’t have a dog, we just started laughing all over again. Our appreciation for sophomoric humor may explain why she didn’t make lentil soup all that often. But there’s no reason you shouldn’t make it, especially since Beano is on store shelves everywhere. So with holiday overindulgence behind us, give this healthy, hearty soup a try.

As Jumpin’ Jack Flash says, “It’s a gas gas gas.”

JANICE MELTON’S LENTIL SOUP

An ancient grain, the humble lentil is featured in a number of Middle Eastern dishes and was discovered in the ruins of Greek settlements as far back as 13,000 B.C. They’re even in the Bible: “Esau gave up his birthright for a dish of lentils,” according to Genesis 25:30-34. And while poor Esau may have wound up on the wrong end of that deal, you won’t; this recipe is simple and cheap and tastes even better the next day.

Mom always used ham in her recipe and while I’ve included it here, I usually prefer my soup vegetarian, so I leave it out and it still tastes fine. I also like this soup thick, so I simmer it for about 15 minutes longer than this recipe calls for. If you like soupy soup, stick with the suggested cooking time, bearing in mind that it’s almost impossible to overcook.

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 cup chopped onions

1 cup chopped celery

1 cup chopped carrots

2 quarts chicken or vegetable broth

1 pound lentils, brown or red

1 cup cooked, cubed (ham)

3 bay leaves

1 garlic clove, pressed

1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

1⁄4 teaspoon Tabasco

1⁄2 teaspoon coriander

1⁄2 teaspoon ground pepper

1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley

Light sour cream or yogurt

In a stockpot or Dutch oven, add olive oil and place on medium heat. Once the oil is hot, add onions, celery and, carrots and sweat until the onions are translucent, about 5 or 6 minutes.

Add broth, lentils, ham (optional), bay leaves, garlic and seasonings (except parsley). Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer over medium heat for 35-40 minutes or until lentils are tender.

Continue simmering until desired consistency is reached. Use a stick blender to puree about a quarter of the soup for a creamier texture.

Garnish with chopped parsley and a dollop of light sour cream or yogurt.