Clay Slow Cooked Spicy Lentil Soup

 Lentils are something I don't make very often, but when I do I'm really glad I did. They're filling, nutritious, and different. They have that certain exotic quality that goes well with spices and other things I don't normally eat. And they're easy to prepare, and go great with rice, quinoa, flat bread or salad. They are even great as a standalone dish.

Make sure to add the spices in at the beginning with all of the other ingredients, to give them a chance to really penetrate the dish. Salt and pepper can be added to taste at the end. You can experiment a little bit with ratios of the other spices; I find that I am not a huge fan of cumin, but if I don't use too much it can add just the right subtle flavor and make the dish taste very authentic.

Ingredients:

• 1 red onion, diced
• 2 carrots, peeled & sliced
• 2 stalks celery, sliced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 T turmeric (because I add it to everything)
• 1 ½ t cumin
• 1 T paprika
• 2 t chili powder
• ¼ t cayenne pepper
• 2 c lentils
• 6 c broth
• salt
• black pepper
• cilantro, chopped (for garnish)

  Directions:

1. Add broth, lentils, onion, carrots, celery, garlic and spices to the VitaClay  pot
2. Close, seal and set for “stew” for 1 hour
3. Stir in Greek yogurt.
4. Using a hand immersion blender, puree the soup in the clay pot
5. Garnish with more Greek yogurt and with fresh cilantro