Chicory Lentil Soup

A vegetarian soup for a cold October evening. It is the evening of the end of summer time.

I was looking for an easy soup that warmed me up and used up some of my chicory in the veggie drawer of my fridge. Lentils are a great kind of protein to make the  chicory a little more substancial.

I choose pink organic Gascogne lentils. They are nutty and taste good on their own. The cooking time is a bit longer, but they keep their shape.

The chicory needs a good amount of seasoning in the soup. Otherwise the soup stays bland.  

Recipe for 2:

250 g chicory, 1 tbsp butter, 1/ 2 tsp sugar, 30 ml white wine

300 ml veg stock, 100 ml double cream, 4 tbsp orange juice

salt, black and white pepper, cayenne pepprr 1/2 tsp ground coriander

75 g pink organic Gascogne lentils

Cook the lentils in unsalted water for 30 min, drain.

In a pot melt the butter and add the chopped chicory. Season with salt and pepper. Cook for 5 min and add the sugar.  After 2 more minutes add the white wine and let it simmer down. Now comes the veg stock. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat and cover the pot and cook for 10 min. Add cayenne and black pepper. 

Use a stick blender and make a fine soup. Add cream and orange juice and ground coriander and reheat the soup. Serve with the lentils heaped up in the middle.