My version of a vegetarian lentil soup:
Peel, trim, halve and slice up an onion. Same for a carrot and some celery. Sautee them in olive oil until softened and transparent, but not quite brown. Add 1-1/2 tsp of tomato paste, same amount of pimenton (smoked paprika), two cloves of chopped garlic, a few pinches of salt, and stir in thoroughly. After a minute or two, add s handful or two of chopped wild mushrooms (I used a rather aromatic local pleurote, but a porcini would be ideal). Continue cooking until you see some brown stuff on the bottom of the pan. Stir in a few finely chopped sage leaves. Deglaze with a cup of a dark beer (I used HeBrew Messiah Bold). Reduce slightly, then add broth, some generous grinds of pepper, a bay leaf, Parmesan rinds if you've got 'em, 1-1/2 c of rinsed lentils (I used a mix of Puy and little black jobs), and 6 cups of broth. Cook until lentils are just about tender enough, then (optionally) run a stick blender around to partially puree things, leaving the texture still rather coarse. Add in a generous couple of handfuls of thinly sliced kale, cook for a few minutes until the kale is tender, adjust salt, and enjoy.
I paired this with a Chimay Premiere Trappist ale, but a rough-and-ready Southern Rhône will work just as seamlessly.
If you want to be extra decadent, poach an egg, put it in the bottom of a bowl, then spoon the soup over it. It makes a nice golden sunburst surprise.
"A clown is funny in the circus ring, but what would be the normal reaction to opening a door at midnight and finding the same clown standing there in the moonlight?" — Lon Chaney, Sr.
