Daily Soup: Curried Lentil

I've had a huge craving for vegetarian food lately. Maybe those out of control sugar cravings I spoke of last week are finally relenting, balanced by a return to humble and healthful meals, chock full of greens and grains.

The urge is so deep, that last week I went out at 5PM  just for a carrot and a can of chickpeas so that I could make this soup. First spotted in Molly Wizenberg's column in Bon Appetite, I next saw it remade on Megan's blog. After that, I could not get this soup out of my head (kind of like a cute boy or a catchy Justin Bieber song) and by the time the dinner hour rolled around, there was no mistaking it: I was not making the pork chops with sauteed apples and onions that were on the menu. I was making soup.

I won't re-post the recipe -- it was just in a recent issue of Bon Appetite, and in honoring that, I'll let the printed word win, at least for today. Plus, the recipe I made incorporated Megan's small, yet perfect tweaks. I can't imagine doing my own riff just yet, because this soup was perfect: spicy, comforting, soul warming.

We ate it with naan and a big green salad, and again the next day for lunch, and then again and again. It's that kind of soup. I'm even hiding some from Sean, tucked away in an inconspicuous yogurt container I'm sure he'll never open. It's been a great one bowl lunch for quite a few days.

Sometimes, when you're feeling reliably anxious about things entirely out of your control (like reviews of your book), your food should ground you. This soup did that. And for that, it'll be on my favorites list for a long time.

P.S. Want to know more about how I met my book agent? See a photo of me before the big meeting, and read about it here!