Dreena Burton· Published September 14, 2020
· 2min read
Summary
Coriander and star anise, the stars of this soup, are infused in a tea ball to create beautiful flavors and aromas. The soup has the lingering essence of these enchanting spices, and the tea ball can be left in or removed earlier in the cooking, depending on how much flavor you’d like to impart. Spices not only offer much flavor to meals, but they also bring with them tons of nutrition. Enjoy this soup knowing you’re taking in generous amounts of fiber, vitamins, minerals, and phytonutrients.
1cuporganic orange juice (preferably freshly squeezed, zest first, see Chef's Notes)
1dry bay leaf
1tsporganic orange zest (+½ tsp as desired)
1 ½tbspginger (fresh, grated)
Directions
1
In a large pot over medium heat, add 2 tablespoons water, onion, celery, carrot, and optional salt and pepper.
2
Stir through, cover, and cook for 5–7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onions begin to soften. Add another tablespoon of water as needed to deglaze the pot.
3
Meanwhile, add the coriander seeds and star anise to a tea ball (or another gadget that will allow you to infuse the spices into the soup and then easily remove).
4
Add the tea ball, lentils, broth, water, orange juice, and bay leaf to the pot.
5
Increase heat to bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and let cook for 20–25 minutes (see note), until the lentils are fully softened and dissolved.
6
Add the orange zest and ginger, stir through, and cook for another few minutes.
7
Taste, season with additional salt and pepper if desired, and then serve.
Chef's Notes
Spices You can infuse the soup for the full cooking time, but if you aren’t sure about how much of this flavor you’d like in the soup, you can remove the tea ball after the first 10 minutes or so, and then taste after it’s fully cooked and seasoned. You can always return the tea ball to the soup and cook longer if you want a stronger infusion.
Orange Juice/Zesting If using fresh orange juice, be sure to zest the orange before squeezing for juice. It’s much easier to collect the zest before juicing! Also opt for organic oranges (and citrus in general) when using for zest.
Serving Suggestion Serve in a bowl over, or alongside organic jasmine rice (for an attractive presentation you can scoop and lightly press rice into one side/half of the bowl, then fill the remaining portion of the bowl with the soup.
1cuporganic orange juice (preferably freshly squeezed, zest first, see Chef's Notes)
1dry bay leaf
1tsporganic orange zest (+½ tsp as desired)
1 ½tbspginger (fresh, grated)
Directions
1
In a large pot over medium heat, add 2 tablespoons water, onion, celery, carrot, and optional salt and pepper.
2
Stir through, cover, and cook for 5–7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onions begin to soften. Add another tablespoon of water as needed to deglaze the pot.
3
Meanwhile, add the coriander seeds and star anise to a tea ball (or another gadget that will allow you to infuse the spices into the soup and then easily remove).
4
Add the tea ball, lentils, broth, water, orange juice, and bay leaf to the pot.
5
Increase heat to bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and let cook for 20–25 minutes (see note), until the lentils are fully softened and dissolved.
6
Add the orange zest and ginger, stir through, and cook for another few minutes.
7
Taste, season with additional salt and pepper if desired, and then serve.
