This recipe is from my fantastic friend Stephanie Foley, and it turned out great! This version has a lot more flavor than regular old lentil soup. It did turn out a little spicy which I really liked but if you are wary of that sort of thing you could use less serrano. I ended up using double the amount of lentils, and pureeing the whole thing with an immersion blender at the end. I used 2% greek yogurt this time, but I am trying to eat less dairy these days so next time I think I will try substituting coconut milk instead. I skipped the butter and subbed olive oil. Also be careful when dealing with the serranos, I got some in my eye and it was not pretty.
2 Tbsp butter
2 shallots, chopped
1 Tbsp grated ginger
2 Serrano Chiles, seeded and chopped
2 Tbsp tomato paste
3/4 cup lentils
5 cups vegetable stock
1 bunch cilantro, chopped
1 cup cream or yogurt
Melt the butter (or olive oil) in a stockpot over medium heat, then add the shallots, ginger, and serrano chiles and saute for around 4 minutes until the shallot is translucent.
Add the stock, tomato paste, and lentils. Boil and simmer for about an hour.
Add the chopped cilantro, and yogurt or cream. I blended it all up with an immersion blender, but I'm sure it would be great if you left it whole also. I garnished with a dab of yogurt and a little cilantro. Enjoy!
