Curried Lentil Soup

1 cup dried green lentils, washed
2 stalks celery, diced
2 carrots, diced
1.5 cups or 1 medium onion, diced
4 cups water
2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
salt and pepper to taste
1.5 to 2 tbsp curry powder
2 tbsp olive oil

* 1. Heat olive oil in heavy large skillet or pot over medium heat. Add chopped onion, optional celery, and carrot and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cook until onion is translucent, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes or so.
* 2. Add finely chopped garlic and stir until vegetables are soft but not brown, about 5 minutes longer. Reduce heat if necessary to avoid burning.
* 3. Add curry powder. I started with 1.5 tablespoons. Now, add the rinsed uncooked lentils and 4 cups water. Season with a sprinkle of kosher salt and pepper, add in lemon juice, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium and simmer until lentils are tender, about 30 minutes.
* 4. When lentils are tender, I poured about half of the soup into my blender and I blended the soup for a minute. I did this to create a very thick texture. After blending, stir the soup back into the skillet/pot and you will have a very thick soup with some chunky pieces left from the soup you did not process.
* 5. Season to taste with salt, pepper, and additional curry powder, if desired. Sprinkle with thinly sliced green onions and serve with lemon wedges.
* Makes about 4-5 cups.

Serving Size: Makes 4-5 cups, serving size one cup

Number of Servings: 4

Recipe submitted by SparkPeople user VANCE17.