Simple Lentil Soup

Over ten years ago my mom and I saw Ishmail Merchant demonstrating this on the old Martha Stewart tv show. His recipe is a little complicated for lentils, so I simplified it. This is the BEST lentil soup or side dish I know how to make. (Hey, you can also see this on my blog Obsessed With Dinner).
Serves 4 to 6.

4 cups red lentils (Masoor Dal) picked over for stones
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 onion sliced and 1/2 an onion diced
4 bay leaves
4 3inch cinnamon sticks
1 diced garlic clove
1 Tbs. fresh grated ginger
1 tps. cayenne pepper
1 lemon - squeeze out the juice, but save the halves
8 cups hot vegetable or chicken stock (and maybe more hot water or stock as it cooks)
maybe salt depending on your stock (don't add it until the end because most stock is really salty)

Step 1: Saute the onions and garlic

Saute the onions in the oil until the edges brown. Add the garlic and saute until it just starts to brown.

Comments

[obsessed]

Oops, I forgot to put on the servings. I'd call it more like 4 to 6 if you're serving it as the main part of the meal. I usually make a batch, have it for dinner that night and then I have a few lunch-sized servings leftover.

[J@50n]

 How many servings does this recipe make 6-8?

[ChrysN]

This looks yummy!