Espelette spiced red lentil and carrot soup

There are really no excuses not to cook this time of year – in fact, it’s one of the best opportunities for cozy, indoor quality time to bond with your friends and family.

I hope that’s what you spent your day doing yesterday, if you found yourself snowed in on the East Coast. The storm has passed and the snow is so still and beautiful.

I baked some bread and enjoyed the rare quiet of the city, away from the usual hum.

The snow day diffused light was something to behold too, so lots of photos were taken!

But back to the soup i.e. perfect comfort food for this weather.

This soup is an easy, warming delight of espelette-spiced lentils and finely grated carrots.

I love using espelette pepper, which originates from the Basque regions of France and Spain {originally likely from Espelette itself!}, for its nuanced smoky flavor with hints of sea salt, iodine, and cayenne.

And if you top this with a poached egg, it will completely send it over the top.

Red lentil and carrot soup

You’ll need:

• 1 cup red lentils
• 4 cups chicken stock (you can, of course, substitute vegetable stock, if need be)
• 3 medium carrots
• 1 cup fresh spinach
• 1 t piment d’espelette
• 1/3 t ground black pepper
• 1/3 t ground cumin
• salt
• eggs, poached (optional)

1. Rinse the lentils well and bring to a simmer in the chicken stock.

2. After about 20 minutes, grate the carrots using a Microplane and cut the spinach (tip: use scissors!) directly into the soup. Add spices and stir to combine.

3. Cook uncovered for another 10-15 minutes until lentils are just tender. Taste for seasonings, turn off heat, and cover.

I like this topped with something crunchy like rice or almond crackers or even some tortilla chips.

Oh, and you can add that over-the-top poached egg too.