One of my favourite things to eat. It’s a really delicious soup, plus quick and cheap. You’ll probably want more of the Taklia, so I suggest you make 3 x the amount. It’s also really good lathered onto toast to serve with the soup. Serves 4.
You need:
1 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, sliced finely
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 cup brown or green lentils (soaked overnight)
1 litre vegetable stock
1 bunch silver beet, white stalk removed
1 bunch coriander leaves and stems, roughly chopped
1 lemon, juiced
4 tbsp taklia – 4 cloves garlic, sliced, 1/2 cup olive oil, 4 tbls coriander powder, 1 tbsp sea salt
Sea salt and white pepper
2 tbsp pine nuts to serve, toasted
Method:
In a soup pot saute your onion in the olive oil until translucent, about 2 minutes. Add the garlic and continue cooking for another few seconds. Now add the lentils and stir to coat them in the oil. Add the stock and simmer until they are soft. This will take around 20 minutes.
Roughly chop your spinach then add it to the pan with the coriander and lemon juice. Stir well then cover the pot to let the spinach wilt. Puree. Add more water if the soup it too thick.
For the taklia, fry the garlic in the oil until it just changes colour, don’t let it brown. Put it in a mortar and pestle with the oil, coriander powder and salt. Pound it until it becomes a rough paste.
Divide the soup between 4 bowls and stir 1 tbsp of taklia into each. Taste for seasoning. Top with the pine nuts and serve.
