"lentil soup" news and stories

President Obama hosted the first state dinner back in November for Prime Minister Manmohan Singh of India, with a vegetarian menu prepared by Chef Marcus Samuelsson.

Watch and learn how to make one of the dishes, lentil coconut soup with lentil apple salad, from Samuelsson himself in the video below.

There are certain dishes for which I always have the ingredients in my kitchen. Scrambled eggs (eggs and butter). My sister's Quinoa, Bean-wa, Green-wa (a mash up of quinoa, garbanzo beans, Trader Joe's Curry Simmer Sauce and frozen spinach). Lentil soup (dried split mung beans, carrots, celery and onion). My friend Cindy always keeps around Ramen Noodles and frozen peas for the nights when she can't deal with being creative. Another friend is never without the makings for fluffer nutter sandwiches.

These are the items I can make quickly, with my eyes nearly closed (chopping veggies without at least one eye open is a very bad idea). I know that they will taste good and stop me from being hungry, which is often all I ask from my food.

Okay Slashfoodies, confession time! What are meals you make time and again, and always keep the makings for around in your fridge and pantry?

• How to bake like a pro, from Bon Appetit writer Dorie Greenspan. Includes recipes for Espresso Chocolate Shortbread Cookies and Swedish Visiting Cake.
• Healthy pancakes can taste good. Check out these Orange Cloud Pancakes.
• Boston's Ritz-Carlton has closed, to be replaced by the Taj Boston. Will they serve the Ritz Fizz there?
• How to make a better vegetable soup.
• What should the Top Chef contestants have made for the "seven deadly sins" challenge?
• This week's recipes: Green Bean and Mushroom Salad; Chicken Fried Rice; Biscuits and Eggs; Lentil Soup; and Banana Pudding.

Lentils may be in short supply, especially if you want to buy them in bulk, but for the average home cook, the odds are good that you're not eating lentils every day and a cup or two should still be easy enough to come by. Lentils are high in protein and provide a huge advantage over beans in soup because they do not have to be soaked in advance and have a relatively short cooking time. This recipe comes from Cooking Light and is an easy to make, satisfying dish.

I used black lentils to make this soup, but you should be able to substitute any kind you have, such as red or yellow, and still come up with a great result. I also opted to omit the cilantro, since I don't like it to have a really strong presence in dishes, and did not puree the soup. The dish was slightly spicy and very good, especially considering that it only took about one hour to make!

Lentils are not normally considered to be one of the most photogenic foods, but the Red Lentil Soup at Cream Puffs in Venice is as beautiful as lentils can get. Lentils, unlike other dried beans or legumes, do not have to be soaked prior to cooking, which means that they cook up quickly. In fact, Ivonne said that the soup took a mere half an hour to put together and was rich, comforting and delicious. It is not only a hearty and warming dish, but it is the perfect soup for bringing a little bit of sunlight in during cold winter weather. If you're interested in making a batch of this yourself, perhaps you should take a look at the recipe.

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