Because of our wood-fired oven in the outdoor kitchen, guests almost always choose our pizza experience their first time here, but in winter our soup bar, an array of five very different soul-satisfying soups, is also very popular. At the heart of these two Copper House food experiences is a vat of our simple tomato sauce, and there’s almost always a pot of it simmering on our back burner. (Our pizza sauce and our tomato sauce for soup are the same recipe except the pizza sauce calls for twelve minced garlic cloves instead of the celery, carrots and onions called for in the recipe below.)
After looking at the recipe for Creamy Tomato-Lentil Soup, you may wonder why in the world we’re having you make four quarts of tomato sauce for a soup recipe that calls for only one quart. Why?? Because this is how we cook at Copper House–simply, efficiently, deliciously, and smart!
By making this very simple tomato sauce for Creamy Tomato-Lentil Soup posted here, you’ll also have three quarts left for dishes like Quick Bean and Corn Chili, Coconut Curry With Chickpeas and Spinach, and Pasta et Fagioli. Or, simply toss this sauce with your favorite pasta shape and top with a little shaved Parmesan for a super simple supper. Four incredible meals from one base recipe! (For the garlicky version, just note that the 12 cloves of garlic isn’t as bulky as the version with celery, carrots, and onions, so the yield is only a little over 3 quarts.)
It’s the same with the lentils in this soup recipe. You can buy cooked lentils in the can, but if you soak a pound of lentils overnight, you can cook them to perfection in a mere five minutes, with enough leftovers to make a delicious salad. Add seasonal cooked or raw vegetables and toss with your favorite dressing or use them to add substance and texture to salad greens.
So make these two simple recipes–A Vat of Tomato Sauce and a pot of lentils, and you’ve got meals for the entire week. If you want to taste every pot on the Copper House soup bar, book your winter retreat now!
PrintCreamy Tomato-Lentil Soup
- Yield: 4 to 6 servings 1x
Ingredients
1/2 cup olive oil
2 each: medium-large onions, carrots, and celery, cut into small dice
1 teaspoon hot red pepper flakes
4 cans (28 ounces) crushed tomatoes or whole tomatoes packed in puree (preferably San Marzano)
Salt and ground black pepper
1 can (6 ounces) tomato paste (if you need it)
1 can (13.5 ounces) full-fat coconut milk
3 cups cooked lentils (if using canned lentils, drain them)
Instructions
- Heat oil in a large pot over medium-high heat; add the onions, carrots, celery, and pepper flakes; cook until vegetables soften, 5 to 7 minutes.
- Stir in the tomatoes; rinse out the with cans with 1 cup of water and add to the pot. Bring to a simmer; reduce heat to medium-low, and continue to simmer, partially covered, until the sauce thickens and flavors meld, about 20 minutes. Taste the sauce and season with salt and pepper. If the sauce is thin, stir in tomato paste to desired consistency and simmer to blend flavors, a few minutes longer. Cool the sauce and divide it among four 1-quart sealed containers. (Can be refrigerated a couple of weeks or frozen several months.)
- To make the soup, in a soup kettle bring 1 quart of sauce along with the coconut milk and lentils to a simmer. Continue to simmer to thicken and blend flavors, about 5 minutes longer. Serve
Notes
For extra color and flavor, feel free to add fresh or dried herbs to the soup–thyme, basil, rosemary and dill are all good choices. Start with a teaspoon of dried herbs and add continue to add to taste. As for fresh, figure a tablespoon of fresh thyme or rosemary, a couple of tablespoons of fresh dill, or 1/4 cup fresh basil.