Wolfgang puck's lentil soup with lamb meatballs

 
              Wolfgang Puck's Lentil Soup With Lamb Meatballs
 
 Recipe By     : 
 Serving Size  : 1    Preparation Time :0:00
 Categories    : Lentils                          Soups & Stews
 
   Amount  Measure       Ingredient -- Preparation Method
 --------  ------------  --------------------------------
    2      tablespoons   olive oil
    2      medium        onions -- peeled and chopped
    2      medium        carrots -- peeled and diced
    5      large   clov  garlic -- minced
    1      stalk         celery -- trimmed and diced
    1      large         branch fresh thyme -- stem removed and
                          -- --discarded
    1      tablespoon    turmeric
    2      teaspoons     ground cumin
    1      pound         uncooked lentils -- red preferred
    7      cups          hot chicken or vegetable broth
                         Salt -- to taste
                         Freshly ground black pepper
      1/2                lemon -- Juice of
                         Additional stock if needed for proper
                         -- consistency
    1      cup           plain yogurt -- Garnish
    1      tablespoon    chopped mint -- Garnish
      1/2  teaspoon      lemon zest -- Garnish
                         ***LAMB MEATBALLS***
    1      pound         ground lamb
      2/3  cup           blanched and toasted almonds* -- coarsely ground
      2/3  cup           fresh sourdough bread crumbs -- not too small
    1      small         onion -- finely chopped
      1/4  cup           golden raisins -- chopped
    1                    egg -- lightly beaten
    4      cloves        garlic -- minced
    2      tablespoons   fresh cilantro -- minced
      1/4  teaspoon      dried red chile flakes
                         Salt and pepper -- to taste
 
 Procedure: In a large pot or Dutch oven, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. 
 Add onions, carrots, garlic and celery; cook on medium heat, stirring frequentl
 y, until onions are transparent. Stir in thyme leaves, turmeric and cumin; cook
  1 minute. Add broth and lentils. Bring to' boil and reduce heat to simmer; ski
 m. Simmer for 25 to 30 minutes; lentils should be soft. Add salt and pepper to 
 taste. Process 1/2 of mixture in a food processor fitted with the metal blade o
 r in a blender. Stir pureed portion back into the soup. Add salt and pepper to 
 taste.
 
 Prepare the meatballs
 
 *Cook's notes: To toast almonds, place them in a single layer on a baking sheet
  and place in a 350 degree oven for 3 to 5 minutes. Watch them carefully becaus
 e they can burn easily. Preliminaries: Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Procedure: 
 Combine all ingredients in a large bowl; using clean hands, combine ingredients
 . Form into 1-inch meatballs and place on foil-lined jelly-roll pan. Place in a
  preheated 400-degree oven for about 10 to 13 minutes. Test to make sure they a
 re thoroughly cooked. Makes about 16 meatballs. Add meatballs to soup and cook 
 on low heat for 5 minutes. In a small bowl, combine yogurt, mint and lemon zest
 . Presentation: Ladle hot soup into 8 to 10 individual soup bowls. Drizzle with
  garnishing mixture. Serve immediately.
 
 Yield: Makes 8 to 10 servings.
 
  scanned by sooz
 
 
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