Cooking with Rena Lee

Tips: Avoid boiling the soup once the yogurt has been added. Otherwise it will separate and become watery, spoiling the appearance of the soup.

Yield:4

INGREDIENTS:

1 tbsp	olive oil
1	medium onion, chopped
4	garlic cloves, finely chopped
12 oz	carrots, sliced
1	celery stalk, sliced
1 1/4 cups	red lentils
2 1/2 cups	fresh vegetable stock
3 cups	boiling water

DIRECTIONS:

Heat the oil in a large saucepan and gently saute the prepared onion, garlic, carrot, and celery, stirring gently, for about 5 minutes or until the vegetables begin to soften.
Add the lentils, stock, and boiling water. Season with salt and pepper to taste, stir, and bring back to a boil. Simmer, uncovered, for 15 minutes until the lentils are completely tender. Allow to cool for 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, bring another saucepan of water to a boil and cook the pasta according to the instructions on the packet. Drain well and set aside.
Place the soup in a blender and process until smooth. Return to a saucepan and add the pasta. Bring back to a simmer and heat for 2-3 minutes, until piping hot. Remove from the heat and stir in the yogurt. Adjust the seasoning if necessary.
Serve sprinkled with chopped parsley.