Mexican Lentil Soup With Roasted Garlic And Chilies Recipes

Steps:

• Put the lentils, water, bay leaf, sage, and oregano or marjoram in a soup pot. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer for about 20 minutes, or until the lentils are tender. Remove the bay leaf.
• While the lentils are cooking, preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Wrap the head of garlic in foil or place it on a baking sheet and roast for 30 minutes. After it has cooled, squeeze the garlic out of the skin and into a food processor or blender. Puree with the tomatoes and juice. Set aside.
• Put the 1/4 cup water in a skillet or large saucepan and turn the heat to medium. Add the onion, cumin, and oregano and cook until soft. Add the carrot and red pepper and cook until tender. Add the chile puree, the potatoes, and the tomato-garlic mixture and cook for 10 minutes at medium-low heat.
• Combine the lentils and liquid with the vegetables. Cook over low heat for 30 minutes, covered. Test for salt and chili flavor. If not hot enough, add some chile powder. Just before serving, sprinkle the cilantro on top, if desired.
• * To toast herbs and spices: use a small, heavy skillet. Place the herb or spice in the skillet over low heat. Shake the skillet until the aroma of the herb or spice is released. Be careful not to burn them. Then grind the spice if necessary.
• ** Look for chipotle chilies canned in adobo sauce. Puree the whole can and store in a jar in the refrigerator. They keep quite a while and are perfect for jazzing up all manner of foods. Use sparingly, though -- it's hot!

Steps:

• Set oven rack about 6 inches from the heating element in your oven and preheat the broiler. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil.
• Arrange red bell pepper halves, yellow bell pepper halves, and orange bell pepper halves onto prepared baking sheet with cut sides down.
• Roast peppers under the preheated broiler until the skin of the peppers has blackened and blistered, 5 to 8 minutes. Place the blackened peppers into a bowl and tightly seal with plastic wrap. Steam as they cool until the skin has loosened completely, about 20 minutes. Remove and discard skins. Cut peppers into small dice.
• Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat; cook and stir onion and carrot in hot oil until onion is translucent, about 10 minutes. Add garlic, tarragon, thyme, and paprika; continue to cook and stir until garlic is fragrant, about 2 minutes.
• Stir roasted peppers, tomatoes, water, and hot sauce into the peppers mixture, place a cover on the pot, and cook until the tomatoes soften, about 5 minutes.
• Pour vegetable broth into the pot; add lentils, bay leaves, salt, and black pepper; bring to a boil, cover the pot, reduce heat to medium-low, and cook until lentils are tender, about 45 minutes.
• Pour soup into a blender or food processor no more than half full. Cover and hold lid down; pulse several time to get the soup to be only slightly chunky. Repeat processing until all soup has been blended.