Ashram Lentil Soup and Focaccia Bread

Both these recipes came from friends. I’ve been making this lentil soup at least 3-4 times a month for about 4 years! It’s quick and easy to make when you don’t have a lot left in your fridge. This focaccia bread isn’t made often enough! It’s so delicious! Great with soup or on it’s own. It also makes for an amazing pizza dough.

Ashram Lentil Soup

• 1 cup Brown Lentils
• 2 med Onions, chopped
• 2 cloves Garlic, minced
• 4 Carrots, sliced
• 2 stalks Celery, sliced
• 1 tbsp Dried Basil
• 1 tbsp Dried Thyme
• 1 tsp Ground Oregano
• 8 cups Water or Veggie Stock
• 1 15 oz can Diced Tomatoes
• 1/4 tsp Cracked Pepper
• 1/4 cup Tamari
• 1/2 cup Cooking Sherry

1. Rinse lentils.
2. In large pot saute onion, garlic, carrots and celery in oil until translucent.
3. Add basil, thyme and oregano and saute another minute.
4. Add water or stock, tomatoes, pepper, lentils and bring to a boil.
5. Lower heat, cover and simmer 45 min.
6. Add Tamari and Sherry and continue to cook for 15 min.

Focaccia Bread

• 1 3/4- 2 cups warm Water
• 1 tbsp Yeast (+ 2 tsp if you’re using whole wheat flour)
• 1- 3 tsp Demerara Sugar (to feed yeast)
• 1 tbsp Demerara Sugar
• 1 tbsp Salt
• 1/2 cups Olive Oil (you can’t be afraid of oil when making this bread!)
• 4-5 cups Flour (1/4 of which we use whole wheat)
• Salt, Pepper, Herbs, Garlic…

1. Warm small bowl under hot water. Add yeast, sugar and warm water to bowl and allow yeast to proof.
2. In larger bowl blend oil, sugar, salt, herbs (rosemary, oregano…), garlic. You don’t want to add too little here.
3. Add proofed yeast to oil mixture and whisk to combine.
4. Stir in flour until kneadable and knead on board until smooth and elastic.
5. Let rise in oiled and covered bowl until doubled in size. About 25 min?
6. Shape onto pan or pizza stone. Smother with more olive oil, coarse salt, herbs, garlic… Put in oven while preheating oven to 350’F for it’s last rise.
7. Bake about 20 minutes and if using a pan, turn halfway through baking.