Soup for Fall- aka Cold and Flu Season

The air is brisk, there's a chill in the air. In the evenings, a faint smell of burning embers. My favorite season has come. It's autumn and soup is on!


After discovering the dough cycle on my bread machine earlier this week, I decided to revisit bread bowls.   The first time I attempted these puppies, the result was a lump of dense flour that didn't rise. This afternoon, I owned the bread bowls. At least well enough for them to rise and for my husband to proclaim, "I think you may have the bread machine figured out." Maybe. I have many more months before I can feel confident using that thing. 


The Bread Bowls

• 1/2 cup water (70 to 80 degrees F)
• 1 cup warm milk (70 to 80 degrees F)
• 2 tablespoons butter, softened
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 4 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 (.25 ounce) packages active dry yeast or 4 1/2 TSP

1. In bread machine pan, place the first seven ingredients in order suggested by manufacturer. Select dough setting (check dough after 5 minutes of mixing; add 1 to 2 tablespoons of water or flour if needed).
2. When the cycle is completed, turn dough onto a lightly floured surface. Divide into six portions; shape into balls. Place on greased baking sheets. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 30 minutes. Brush with egg white. Bake at 375 degrees F for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on wire racks.
3. To make bowl, cut the top fourth off of bread; carefully hollow out bottom of each, leaving a 1/4-in. shell (discard removed bread or save for another use).

The Soup: Turkish Red Lentil

2 large yellow onions diced/chopped

2 cups diced/chopped carrots

1 bunch of celery including the leafy parts, chopped/diced

8 cups vegetable broth (I use vegetable bouillon)

2 cups of water

1 lb red lentils

2 tsp coriander

1 tsp cumin

1/2 tsp turmeric

1/2 tsp hungarian paprika (more if you prefer spicy)

1/4 tsp ground black pepper

1/4 tsp dried mint

1/4 tsp sea salt

2 tbsp minced garlic
3 TBSP lemon juice

olive oil

1 crock pot (CP)

I take the onion, celery and garlic and sautee them in a pan with plenty of olive oil. I let them sautee until the onions are clear, and some of them begin to turn dark around the edges. Then I dump the sauteed garlic and onion into my CP. Then I add everything else. I turn my crockpot on high, and once the soup is boiling, I turn it on low. I let it simmer until the lentils are tender and slightly disintegrated. The picture below is an accurate representation of how the soup looks, but it is not my own photo. We ate all the soup before I thought to take a picture. Oops. It looks like they sprinkled red pepper flakes, mint and parsley as a garnish.