Reviewed: Mar. 7, 2004

I brought this to a potluck tonight and everyone loved it. I had made these changes: 1 tsp of cumin instead of 1/4 tsp, 1/2 package of frozen spinach instead of kale, added about 1 tsp of garam masala. I didn't have any cilantro, but I think that would have been good. Also, I thought the vegetable would get too mushy cooked the way the recipe said, so I cooked the lentils with the broth and spices (only took about 15 minutes) and then added the sauted onions through garlic and cooked until done.

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321 users found this review helpful

Reviewer:

LSCHROTH

Reviewed: Sep. 24, 2010

Delicious! This soup has a very hearty and delightfully unique taste. The fact that it is vegetarian and could easily be made vegan by subbing olive for the butter is an added bonus. My lentils were tender in only 25 minutes; lentil cooking times vary greatly depending on how long they have been stored, so I would advise checking them to make sure that you do not end up with mush. I used 1 teaspoon of cumin and did adjust the seasoning at the end by adding some Himalayan sea salt, which I thought was sorely needed, perhaps because I used low sodium vegetable broth. File powder is ground sassafras leaves used for both flavoring and thickening. I don’t think it was necessary to thicken this soup but the file powder in addition to the other spices added a wonderful complexity to the flavor. It can be ordered from Penzeys.com if your grocery does not carry it. I will definitely make this soup again!

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312 users found this review helpful

Reviewer:

cookin'mama

Cooking Level: Intermediate

Home Town: Cincinnati, Ohio, USA

Living In: Boston, Massachusetts, USA

Reviewed: Feb. 14, 2007

I love this! I whipped this up on the snowiest day of the year and am thrilled with the results. I did not have all of the ingredients, so here are my modifications: Did not use file powder. I don't think it's needed as the soup is just the right consistency in my opinion. No allspice, so increased the amount of cumin and added garam masala as first reviewer did. Added a little bit of dried ginger (sorry, i didn't measure). No Kale on hand - used frozen spinach instead, with great results. I used a little more butter than what was called for and once soup was done and had cooled ever so slightly, I added some nonfat sour cream which I think made it extra delightful! I normally don't use salt when cooking anyway, but did add some garlic salt at the end as I am a garlic lover. I also used dried cilantro as I didn't have fresh. Play around with this one; it's very versatile! Thank you for the recipe!

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238 users found this review helpful

Reviewer:

CHARI

Cooking Level: Intermediate

Living In: Owego, New York, USA

Reviewed: Mar. 19, 2006

I was shocked! This is really good and there is no salt in it! Definitely a keeper (I didn't add file powder. I don't even know what it is.)

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38 users found this review helpful

Reviewer:

WDEGOLIER

Cooking Level: Intermediate

Home Town: Denver, Colorado, USA

Living In: Tacoma, Washington, USA

Reviewed: Apr. 9, 2006

I enjoyed this recipe. Like another reviewer said, I used 1 tsp of cumin. In addition I did not use any potatoes because where soup is concerned I am trying to get everyone to eat more veggies. So I used more carrots (about 3 large) and a whole bunch of kale. It was very tasty and nutritious. The spices make a variation from the normal soups I make.

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35 users found this review helpful

Reviewer:

bitch'n kitchen

Cooking Level: Intermediate

Living In: Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Reviewed: Nov. 18, 2004

This is one of the best lentil soups I have tried.

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24 users found this review helpful

Reviewer:

DRBOXER

Reviewed: Jan. 23, 2012

I was cleaning out the fridge and wanted to use up some kale, celery, parsey and potatoes. This soup is full-bodied and delicious. What a great recipe.

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14 users found this review helpful

Reviewer:

Luv2Pub

Reviewed: Sep. 20, 2007

Very good and I will make it again. I might even add more Kale as it is so nutritious (and adds nice color to the soup). I used chicken broth. Celine

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14 users found this review helpful

Reviewer:

Celine M.

Reviewed: Nov. 21, 2010

This soup was surprisingly good. As one reviewer advised, I kept a close eye on the lentils, only cooking them for 20 minutes or less before they were done. Next time I make it I will add a lot more cilantro and kale (I expected the kale to be weird, but it was great) and I will double the spices--except maybe the cayenne pepper.

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12 users found this review helpful