Mexican lentil soup

14 oz (400 g) bag red or green lentils
1 large onion
2 green peppers
3 carrots
2 celery stalks
2 jalapeño peppers
4 large garlic cloves
1 tbsp (15 mL) olive oil
8 cups (2 L) water
5 packets low salt chicken or vegetable bouillon
1 tbsp (15 mL) chili powder
2 tsp (10 mL) ground cumin
1 tsp (5 mL) dried leaf oregano
1/2 to 1 tsp (2 to 5 mL) salt
1 tsp (5 mL) ground black pepper

For a heartier consistency, remove about one-quarter of soup and place in bowl of a food processor fitted with a metal blade. Whirl until mixture is puréed. You may need to add a little water if mixture is too thick. Stir purée back into soup.

Wash lentils in a sieve, discarding any twigs and stones. Finely chop onion. Cut red peppers in half, remove seeds and chop into 1/4-inch (0.5-cm) pieces. Peel carrots. Chop carrots and celery into 1/4-inch (0.5-cm) pieces. Core and seed jalapeños, then mince along with garlic.

Heat oil in a large saucepan set over medium-high heat. Add onion, red peppers, carrots, celery, jalapeños and garlic. Stir-fry until vegetables are slightly soft, about 8 minutes. Stir in lentils, broth, chili powder, cumin, oregano, 1/2 teaspoon (2 ml) salt and pepper. Bring mixture to a boil, stirring often. Cover and reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer until lentils and vegetables are tender, from 30 to 40 minutes. Taste and add more salt and seasonings, if needed.

Serve hot with a crusty baguette. Soup will keep well, covered, in the refrigerator up to 3 days or in the freezer up to 3 months.

Serving Size: makes 8-10 servings