LENTIL SWEET POTATO SOUP WITH TARRAGON

Lentils. Lentils. Lentils. Such a perfect legume. I sauteed a garlic clove and few a shallots in olive oil, with some fresh grated ginger, orange zest, cumin seeds, turmeric and a bay leaf. Bay leaves are such a wonderful aromatic herb. Then I added my pre-soaked 1/2C. dal or yellow lentils with about 4 C. water and a packet of concentrated vegetable broth. I let that boil while I prepared veggies. I diced up about 3 sweet potatoes, 2 carrots and 1 celery stalk. I added all that in, seasoned everything with salt and pepper, brought it a boil, then simmered it covered until everything was soft and not mushy, about 20 minutes. I opted out of blending it to keep the integrity of all the different vegetables. At the end I added a bunch of fresh tarragon leaves which really took the soup to a whole different playing field, flavor wise. What I was left with was a chunky and colorful easy to make nutritious lentil soup that I will make again very soon.