Green Lentil Cabbage Soup with Cumin & Fennel Seeds
If you're paying close attention you might notice a running theme; the last three recipes on the blog, including this one, have all included either cabbage or lentils. I didn't intend to create this streak, but it is very revealing of two staples I rely upon heavily and find to be very versatile.
I love making one-pot meals like soups, stews and curries as a streamlined way of getting everything I need into one bowl, with relatively little effort. Similar to a capsule wardrobe, there are numerous ways to mix and match staple ingredients (such as lentils, cabbage, spices, and herbs) and create seemingly limitless one-pot meal variations.
What makes this lentil cabbage soup special are the cumin seeds, fennel seeds, and caraway seeds. The seeds give more visual and textural interest. They're also often fresher and more flavorful than their ground counterpart. The floral, anise-like flavors of fennel and caraway are anchored by the warmth and smokiness of cumin. Cumin and fennel are a great flavor combination on their own. So if you don't keep caraway seeds stocked, the soup will still be delicious.
Be sure to serve individual bowls with one of two toppings below (olive oil and parm or cilantro sauce) and you'll find yourself wanting this for breakfast, lunch and dinner.
Green Lentil Cabbage Soup with Cumin, Caraway & Fennel Seeds
Serves 6
Notes: To bring out more flavor from the spices, I like to roughly crush half the fennel and caraway seeds. Crush in a mortar and pestle or by placing seeds in a plastic bag and applying gentle pressure with a rolling pin. Recipe calls for soaked French green lentils. If you want a shortcut, look for sprouted green lentils (TruRoots is a good brand) and add directly to pot (no soaking required). Cooking time and liquid amount called for have been tested using sprouted green lentils from TruRoots and soaked French green lentils. If you can’t find French green lentils (or Puy lentils), you can use regular green lentils, soaked. They're larger, flatter and often easier to find than French green lentils. But the liquid amount needed may vary, as noted in the recipe below. This soup freezes well.
2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
1 onion, diced
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 tsp. red pepper flakes
2 tsp. cumin seeds
3 tsp. fennel seeds
2 tsp. caraway seeds
2 Tbsp. tomato paste
1/2 large head of savoy cabbage, chopped (regular green cabbage also works)
2 cups French green lentils (soaked 6-8 hours), rinsed and drained
1 quart (4 cups) vegetable broth (or water)
4-6 cups water, just boiled (depending on lentil variety and how soup-y you want it)
1 1/2 - 2 tsp. salt & black pepper to taste
Toppings: Extra-virgin olive oil, squeeze of lemon, parmesan, or Cilantro Sauce (recipe below)
Set tea kettle to boil. (Optional, but adding just boiled water helps soup come to a boil quicker.)
Heat a large soup pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add oil and onion. Cook for 2 minutes, until onion begins to soften. Add garlic and spices (red pepper flakes, cumin seeds, fennel, seeds, and caraway seeds). Stir to combine and cook until fragrant (~1 minute).
Stir in cabbage, soaked (or sprouted) lentils, broth and water, salt and pepper.
Cover, raise heat to bring back to boil. Reduce heat to simmer and cook covered for 20-25 minutes, or until lentils are tender but still hold their shape. Ladle into bowls and finish with desired toppings.
Cilantro Sauce
Notes: For spice and extra flavor, add 1/2 -1 jalapeno (roughly chopped) to blender with other ingredients. Recipe calls for cilantro and dill, but more cilantro (or parsley or basil) can be substituted for dill if you want to keep it even simpler or dill is not available.
1 large handful of cilantro, leaves + tender stems (1/2 cup packed or 20 gr.)
1 small handful of dill, leaves + tender stems (1/4 cup packed or 10 gr.)
1 small garlic clove
Juice from 1 medium lemon
¼ tsp. salt
3 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
4 Tbsp. water
Roughly chop herbs and garlic. Add to a mini blender with remaining ingredients.
Blend until smooth and creamy. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator up to a week.