Moroccan Lentil Soup

Ingredients

1. 6 cups Cooked lentils (I soak and sprout them before I pressure cook them with a little turmeric). Cooked lentils freeze very well, so it is always easy to have some on hand when you need it.
2. 1 large onion sliced
3. 3 2" pieces of cinnamon (grind one of them)
4. 6 cloves
5. 4 pods garlic -- crushed or minced
6. 4 large carrots -- chopped into small pieces
7. 1 green pepper chopped into small pieces
8. 2 sticks celery -- chopped into small pieces again
9. 1 lemon -- juiced
10. 1 tsp cumin seeds -- optional
11. 2 medium sized green chili peppers -- sliced
12. 3 medium sized, vine ripened tomatos
13. Tan-Tan seasoning to taste
14. chili powder to taste
15. salt to taste
16. 1/3 bunch parsley to garnish -- chopped

Method:

1. Heat some oil of your choice or butter in a pan
2. Drop two sticks of cinnamon and the cloves
3. When you start to smell the aroma of cinnamon, drop the cumin seeds and let it splutter
4. Immediately, drop the onions, garlic and green chilies and saute for a bit
5. Add about two Tbsp Tan-Tan seasoning and fry a little
6. Add the green peppers and saute a little more.
7. Then add the celery and carrots and the half of the cooked lentils
8. Grind the remaining cinnamon
9. Puree the rest of the lentils along with the cooking water in a blender which still has the cinnamon in it. Add to the pot. Note: If you cook the lentils in a pressure cooker you don't need a lot of water, so you will just about have enough water in the lentils to make the soup rather than a pulp. If you cooked the lentils in an open pot you are likely to have a lot of water in the pot. So don't add the whole thing -- just enough to make the soup look like soup (more stew-ish)
10. Add some salt and add chili powder according to taste.
11. Chop the vine ripened tomatoes and throw them in.
12. Leave on medium heat for about 10 minutes (or less). Stir often since the soup is thick and can stick the bottom if left for too long. Check a piece of carrot to see if it has cooked. If it has, you are done. Otherwise, cook for a little longer.
13. When done, add the juice of one lemon and the parsley.
14. Stir, dish it on to a bowl and enjoy!

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