Red Lentil & Rhubarb Soup

19 February 2013.

Red Lentil & Rhubarb Soup.

Rhubarb isn't just for dessert.
Actually, it would be a shame to miss out on the unique flavor of unsweetened rhubarb. While the lentils provide some added substance to this simple soup, with only two main ingredients, this recipe definitely allows the rhubarb to be the feature presentation.

On our trip to the market, my eye was immediately drawn to the stunning ruby red stalks of rhubarb that seemed to be for sale at every stand. Although rhubarb typically enjoys a spring/summer harvest, it is grown all year round in greenhouse environments. These non-seasonal plants are just as tasty as their seasonal counterparts, and indeed, often have an even more brilliant, deep red hue. When selecting rhubarb, you should look for stalks that are very sturdy and with relatively consistent color (note that the base of the stalk is "whiter" than the main body, much like a stalk of celery).
When you get your rhubarb home and start to work with it, you might be disappointed to learn that the interior of the stalk is actually green. When cooked, a spring/summer rhubarb will give up much of its red color and tend toward a rosy pink -- your intense winter rhubarb, however, has a bit more to offer in the dye department.

I began this soup by dicing and sautéing two cloves of garlic and a small white onion in a teaspoon of olive oil. I added a pinch of salt and a lot of black pepper, and allowed the onions to cook, stirring frequently, until they had started to caramelize.
I wanted to ensure that this soup had a lot of body and thickness. If you've had a rhubarb pie, you'll remember that the texture of a rhubarb filling tends to be very thick and syrupy. This isn't a pastry chef's trick -- cooked rhubarb will cook down quickly into a pulp, a bit "stringy." If you imagine eating the pulp out of the bottom of a freshly-squeezed glass of orange juice, you'll get a rough idea of what it is like to eat a spoonful of cooked rhubarb. -- In and of itself, it's not exactly a soup, per se.

I decided to add lentils. Lentils are great to keep on hand, as there are few foods that are more versatile. I find that lentils are relatively low on the flavor spectrum, which I like to think of as an advantage -- and depending upon how aggressively you stir them while they cook, they can maintain their distinct little round profiles, or turn into a thick, stew-like purée. Of course, when selecting your lentils, you can control the extent of some of these variables. Red lentils are by far the softest and even when left undisturbed, they will tend to break down; as the color gets darker, the bean gets harder -- black lentils, even when stirred, resist the urge to crumble. Accordingly, the more your lentils break down, they more the more willing they are to mix and mingle with added flavors.
And so for this particular recipe, I chose to add red lentils. Using reds in combination with rhubarb would save me a step at the end of my soup prep, namely, the use of an immersion blender. I chopped about three cups of rhubarb into 1" chunks -- no need to go too crazy here (it will all cook down regardless of size -- but the smaller the pieces, the faster) -- and added them to the onions and garlic. I then added a 1.5 cups of uncooked red lentils and three cups of water. I brought everything to a boil, and reduced to a simmer, stirring frequently to encourage everything to soften and break down.

As I've mentioned before (in the tomato-coconut soup recipe), I'm not a huge fan of mono-textural soups. I like to catch a glimpse of something whole in the bowl. For this recipe, I chose to add a little bit of subtle sweetness by peeling and chopping three carrots into 1/4" thick rounds. I simply stirred them into the simmering soup and allowed them to soften.

While the soup is good on its own, I like to add a little "neutralizer" to the final presentation. If you only know rhubarb from sugary pies and crumbles, then you might be surprised to learn that rhubarb is actually itself quite tart (pun intended -- I've been waiting to use that one for days). Thus when you dish up your red lentil & rhubarb soup, I recommend adding two tablespoons of natural soy yoghurt or coconut milk, as you would a dollop of sour cream to a tomato soup. Top with fresh basil leaves and black pepper, and enjoy.
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The Nitty Gritty:

Ingredients (for two servings):

2 cloves of garlic

1 small white onion

1 tsp. of olive oil

1.5 cups of uncooked red lentils

3 cups of water

3 cups of chopped rhubarb

3 small carrots

salt & pepper

fresh basil leaves

2 Tbsp. natural soy yoghurt or coconut milk

Procedure (about thirty minutes):

1. Finely mince two cloves of garlic. Roughly dice one small white onion. Combine in a small nonstick pot with one teaspoon of olive oil. Cover and cook on medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until the onions have caramelized (about five to ten minutes).

2. Chop three cups of rhubarb into bite-sized chunks. Add to the pot of onions with three cups of water and a cup and a half of uncooked red lentils. Peel and slice carrots into thin rounds and add to the pot. Cover and simmer on low, stirring occasionally to encourage the lentils and rhubarb to soften and break down -- about twenty minutes.

3. For a chunkier soup, simply stir until rhubarb and lentils have reached a creamier consistency. For a smooth soup, purée with an immersion blender. Add salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.

4. Serve in bowls with a tablespoon of natural unflavored soy yoghurt or coconut milk for a sweeter flavor. Garnish with fresh basil leaves.