Spicy Cold-Busting Lentil Soup

This soup was engineered not only to use up the tail end of a package of brown lentils that had been languishing in my pantry, part of my current campaign to clear out all odds and ends this month, but also to cause me the least possible amount of distress while addressing the symptoms of a truly nasty, streaming cold. I wanted something hot, spicy and intensely flavored enough to get through my somewhat impaired sense of taste, but also smooth enough that eating it required almost no effort whatsoever. The general underlying hope was that I would miraculously recover upon downing a bowl of it.

I was generous with the cumin and turmeric since I was not sure that I would taste them otherwise, and stirred the harissa in after the soup came off the hob for a final bit of heat. Under less trying circumstances I might use a little less water, add other vegetables such as carrots, and only partially blend the soup, leaving it thicker and more textured, but feeling as I did, smooth and slurpable was exactly what was required.

I also, as I always do when cooking lentils, added a bay leaf. People often tell me they can't see the point of bay leaf or quite identify what it brings to a dish, but its deep herbaceous back notes are exactly why it is one of my favorite complementary ingredients. It adds complexity without particularly announcing its presence, which is perhaps why it doesn't get the attention it deserves.

Makes two servings of restorative soup.

1/2 cup brown lentils, picked over

1/3 white onion, finely chopped

1 clove garlic, finely chopped

1 Tbsp tomato concentrate

1 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp ground turmeric

1 bay leaf

1/2 tsp harissa

1 generous tsp olive oil

Salt to taste

Heat the olive oil in a saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the onion, garlic and a pinch of salt and cook gently until the onion is soft, making sure that the garlic doesn't brown.

Add the tomato concentrate, cumin and turmeric and cook for a minute or so, stirring, until the tomato concentrate darkens slightly and the spices are fragrant.

Add the lentils and bay leaf, followed by 2 1/2 cups water. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for about 20 minutes, until the lentils are completely tender.

Remove and discard the bay leaf. Blend the soup until completely smooth, adding a splash more water if necessary to get the easy-to-slurp consistency you want.

Stir in the harissa. Taste and adjust the salt.

Ladle into a bowl and eat immediately, preferably while doing absolutely nothing else. Garnish with a dollop of Greek yogurt or sour cream if you have some. Add more harissa or some hot sauce if that feels right.

Very importantly for this to heal you, follow your meal with a nap on the couch with a soft throw and a cat.