Red Lentil and Sweet Potato Pottage

A simple, filling, and rustic vegan lentil soup that comes together fast

info

• About 30 minutes
• 2 servings

ingredients

• 2 tbs good olive oil
• 3 pinches of sea salt
• 3 pinches of black pepper
• 1 tbs of spicy harissa
• 1 small red onion, diced
• 4 cloves of garlic, minced
• 2 pinches of dried rosemary, crushed
• 3 large leaves of dried sage, crushed
• 3 cups of split red lentils, rinsed and soaked in water
• 2 small sweet potatoes, already baked
• water
• 1 cup of grated parmigiano reggiano or pecorino romano
• calabrian chili oil
• bread to serve

steps

1. start a campfire and place a heavy bottomed pot on hot coals.
2. heat the olive oil for a minute, then add in the aromatics and spices to fry until the alliums are tranlucent and some fond develops on the bottom of the pot.
3. add in the already cooked sweet potatoes, lentils, and just enough water to cover the contents of the pot. pour the water, then place the lid on the pot and cook covered on high heat.
4. once the lentils are soft (they are small, so they shouldn’t take more than 10 minutes), open the lid and gently stir to avoid burning on the bottom. add more water if the consistency is too thick for your liking.
5. to serve, finish with grated parmigiano reggiano or pecorino romano, calabrian chili oil, and enjoy with crackers or crusty bread.

notes

• if you keep this pottage for leftovers, note that the lentils will continue to break down and the consistency of the soup with thicken.
• washing and soaking the lentils beforehand can cut cook time down signigicantly, can improve the absorption levels of zinc, calcium, iron and protein, reduce the phytic acid and tannins, and can make them more digestible. just rinse the lentils in a colander and let soak with room temperature water for at least an hour before cooking.
• SUBSTITUTES :
  • red lentils : brown lentils, green lentils, black beluga lentils (but then the color won’t be a vibrant bright orange, and cook time may vary)
  • harissa : a dried spicy chili like chiltepin, cayanne, or simply red pepper flakes. (if you’re feeling internationally creative, you could also use sriracha, sambal oleck, or gochujang)
  • baked sweet potato : cooked butternut/acorn/kobucha squash, or raw sweet potato (for a longer cook time)