There is an adage that all cooks know. If you’ve taken any of my cooking classes you’ve heard me utter it over and over again. “You can always add more, but can’t take away.”” It’s so obvious and I admit that I m usually very good about following it. But when it came to the first time I made this soup, I failed. Utterly.
The directions say to add half the chilies to the flavoring mixture in the blender, taste and add more as needed. It also says that the mixture should be a little spicier than comfortable because when you add it to the soup, it will be tamed.
I guess I was in a spicy mood that day, because I added so many jalapeños that the soup became inedible. It was so spicy that Karl and I couldn’t even bring it to our mouths without coughing from the fumes. What was I thinking? Obviously I wasn’t. I attempted to tame the heat by adding a bowlful of minestrone I had in the freezer. We still could barely swallow it without our mouth’s burning.
The amount of spice you add to a dish is a very personal taste. No two people tolerate the heat at the exact same way. We strive to make recipes just spicy enough to give it some kick, but not so spicy it paralyzes your taste buds. You need to keep tasting until you think you’ve reached that goal,
When you do, you will find the flavor of this soup to be beautifully balanced with layers of flavor. When you make it with just the right amount of spice that wakes up your taste buds at the end of each swallow, you will experience a comforting, fresh and utterly satisfying soup. I can vouch for this, because I made it again to make sure.
Thick & Spicy Lentil Soup with Miso and Spinach
1 cup green or brown lentils
3/4 cup long-grain white rice
Salt
1 (5-ounce) package fresh baby spinach (about 6 cups, not packed)
2½ tablespoons white miso
1-inch fresh ginger, unpeeled and thinly sliced
1 serrano or 2 jalapeño chiles, destemmed and halved
1 lime, halved
1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil, plus more for serving
4 ounces shiitake mushrooms, destemmed and thinly sliced
1. In a medium or large pot, bring 6 cups of water, the lentils, rice and a pinch of salt to a boil over high. Reduce heat, cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the lentils are tender but not mushy and the rice is falling apart, 15 to 20 minutes.
2. While the soup is simmering, in a blender, combine ¼ cup water, the spinach, miso, ginger, 1/2 serrano or 1 jalapeño and the juice from half the lime. Blend until smooth. Because the mixture will be thinned by the soup, it should be slightly too spicy; blend in more chilies until it is. Set aside.
3. In a large skillet, stir together the oil, mushrooms and a pinch of salt over medium. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the mushrooms are browned, 7 to 9 minutes. Turn off the heat and let sit until the soup is ready.
4. When the lentils are ready, turn off the heat. Stir in the blended greens. (Mixture will thicken as it sits). Season to taste with salt, then serve topped with the mushrooms, a squeeze of lime and a few drops of sesame oil.
Makes 4 servings.
To prepare Ahead: Soup may be refrigerated for seeral days or frozen.
Recipe adapted from the NYT.
