Meeker Mountain Lentil Soup
Lentils have a powerful yet very light ascending energy which fills my body with vitality as I hold
them. Each cell seems to tingle and the upward flow creates a feeling of widening the air
passages in my lungs, upwards through the throat, and out the top of my head. It strengthens
connection with the spiritual in my body. How interesting then, that the lentil has such a long
history in India, a passionately spiritual area, where over 50 varieties of lentils are cultivated to be
cooked into the endless unique recipes for dahl, lentil soup. It was one of the first vegetables
cultivated by humans.
This satisfying soup was first made 27 years ago, in a tiny Colorado cabin on an antique wood
cook stove surrounded by pine and aspen forest at 9000 feet elevation. It has been recreated
many times in civilization, with electricity, and great results, yet the magic of cooking a soup over
a fire, where I chopped the wood myself to fit in the stove, and collected the water for it from a
mountain spring near my home, will always remain dear to my heart.
1/2 lb. dried brown lentils
3 or so good sized red potatoes, cut in small dice
3 or so good sized carrots, cut in thin rounds
1 large red or yellow onion, small dice
5 or 6 large cloves garlic, minced
2 to 3 stalks celery, diced
1 28 oz. can crushed tomatoes in puree
water
2 tbsp. (approximately) stone ground mustard
dried basil to taste
dried marjoram to taste
2 or 3 bay leaves
salt and pepper
Boil lentils in plenty of water in a large soup pot for approximately a half hour, then add remaining
ingredients and put on a slow boil, stirring occasionally, until everything is tender and soup has
thickened. You may need to add additional water as soup is cooking. Excellent with homemade
bread and butter.
Lentils have a powerful yet very light ascending energy which fills my body with vitality as I hold
them. Each cell seems to tingle and the upward flow creates a feeling of widening the air
passages in my lungs, upwards through the throat, and out the top of my head. It strengthens
connection with the spiritual in my body. How interesting then, that the lentil has such a long
history in India, a passionately spiritual area, where over 50 varieties of lentils are cultivated to be
cooked into the endless unique recipes for dahl, lentil soup. It was one of the first vegetables
cultivated by humans.
This satisfying soup was first made 27 years ago, in a tiny Colorado cabin on an antique wood
cook stove surrounded by pine and aspen forest at 9000 feet elevation. It has been recreated
many times in civilization, with electricity, and great results, yet the magic of cooking a soup over
a fire, where I chopped the wood myself to fit in the stove, and collected the water for it from a
mountain spring near my home, will always remain dear to my heart.
1/2 lb. dried brown lentils
3 or so good sized red potatoes, cut in small dice
3 or so good sized carrots, cut in thin rounds
1 large red or yellow onion, small dice
5 or 6 large cloves garlic, minced
2 to 3 stalks celery, diced
1 28 oz. can crushed tomatoes in puree
water
2 tbsp. (approximately) stone ground mustard
dried basil to taste
dried marjoram to taste
2 or 3 bay leaves
salt and pepper
Boil lentils in plenty of water in a large soup pot for approximately a half hour, then add remaining
ingredients and put on a slow boil, stirring occasionally, until everything is tender and soup has
thickened. You may need to add additional water as soup is cooking. Excellent with homemade
bread and butter.
