Excerpted From:
The Savory Way by Deborah Madison

It's difficult to imagine how a recipe as simple as this one can also be so good. This recipe is derived from one of Elizabeth David's, which calls for only lentils, sorrel, and cream. I have never been able to resist adding some red onion and bay leaf, and sometimes a mirepoix of celery and carrots. But even with these additions this is the simplest of soups. There is no browning of onions or sautéing of vegetables; just a few ingredients boiled together and blended. Although leguminous soups usually improve after a few days, I find this one is best when served right away.

This plain-looking soup--neither lentils nor sorrel boasts stunning color--is light, nourishing, and surprisingly delicious. It is one of my favorites.

Makes 1 quart

• 1/2 cup lentils
• 1/2 small red onion, finely diced
• 1 bay leaf
• salt
• 1 1/2 quarts water
• 3 handfuls sorrel leaves, shredded
• 1 to 2 tablespoons cream or creme frache
• freshly ground pepper
Rinse the lentils and combine them in a soup pot with the onion, bay leaf, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and water. Bring to a boil; then simmer, partially covered, for 30 minutes or until the lentils are completely soft.

Purée half the cooked lentils in a blender until smooth; then return them to the pot. Add the sorrel and cook for another 10 minutes; the sorrel will turn olive green. Stir in the cream, taste for salt and serve with freshly ground pepper.

Excerpted from THE SAVORY WAY by Deborah Madison Copyright© 1998 by Deborah Madison. Excerpted by permission of Broadway, a division of Random House, Inc. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.

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