Marion gave some of this soup to Bruce and he loved it. Sean scanned the recipe and I made it .

Indian-Style Red Lentil Soup with Coconut

(Adapted from the Cooks Illustrated )

Yield: 6 servings

Ingredients

4 cup low-sodium vegetable broth
2 cup water
2 cup split red lentils
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1 T. canola oil
1 onion, minced
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 T. grated fresh ginger
1 1/2 t. garam masala (see homemade note below)
1 (14-oz) can light coconut milk – 3 T. reserved (or in addition to!)
1/2 cup minced fresh cilantro
3 plum tomatoes, cored, seeded, and chopped coarse

Directions

1. IHeat broth mixture: bring broth, water, lentils, and 1/2 t. salt to boil, covered, in large saucepan. Reduce to simmer and continue to cook, covered, until needed in step 3.
2. Cook onion: While mixture is simmering, heat oil in large saucepan over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add onion and 1⁄4 t. salt and cook until softened and lightly browned, 3-5 minutes.
3. Cook aromatics; add broth mixture and coconut milk: stir in garlic, ginger, and garam masala and cook until fragrant, about 1 minutes. Stir in broth mixture and coconut milk, scraping up any browned bits.
4. Bring to a simmer and cook until lentils are tender and soup is thickened, about 15 minutes.
5. Season and Garnish: off heat, stir in cilantro and season with salt and pepper to taste. Sprinkle chopped tomatoes over individual bowls of soup and drizzle with the remaining coconut milk before serving.
   

To make your own garam masala, mix together

Ingredients

1/2 T. ground cinnamon
1/2 T. ground cardamom
1/2 T. ground coriander
1/2 T. ground cumin
1/8 t. ground cloves

Keeps one month in tightly-sealed container:

Garam Masala.