Yield: 8 to 10 servings.
Adapted from a recipe by David Tanis in the New York Times.
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil or butter
1 large onion, finely diced, about 2 cups
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon dried ginger
1½ teaspoons black pepper
2 teaspoons turmeric
1 teaspoon ground cumin
¼ teaspoon cayenne
¼ teaspoon crumbled saffron
1 cinnamon stick or
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
4 cups diced ripe tomato, fresh or canned
2 tablespoons chopped celery leaves, or 1 tablespoon minced celery
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
Salt
1 cup brown lentils, rinsed
1 cup red lentils, rinsed
1 cup canned chickpeas (also called garbanzo beans), rinsed
¼ pound angel hair pasta or vermicelli, broken into 1-inch pieces
Lemon wedges, for serving
1. Put olive oil in a large, heavy-bottomed soup pot over medium-high heat. Add onion and cook, stirring, until softened and lightly colored, 8 to 10 minutes. Stir in garlic, ginger, pepper, turmeric, cumin, cayenne, saffron and cinnamon. Cook about 2 minutes more.
2. Add tomato, celery leaves and cilantro and bring to a brisk simmer. Cook, stirring, about 5 minutes until mixture somewhat thickens, then add 1 teaspoon salt, the brown lentils, red lentils and chickpeas. Add 8 cups water. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a gentle simmer, covered with the lid ajar.
3. Let soup simmer for 30 minutes, then taste broth and adjust salt. Cook for 1 hour more at a gentle simmer, until the lentils are soft and creamy. It may be necessary to add more liquid from time to time to keep soup from being too porridge-like. It should be on the thick side, but with a pourable consistency. (With every addition of water, taste and adjust for salt).