Spicy lentil soup Szechuan style

Ingredients for 2 servings:

• 150 g lentils, yellow, dried
• 6 small shiitake mushrooms, dried
• 500 g water
• 10 g beef broth powder, instant
• 40 g celery (stalks only)
• 8 small onions, red
• 4 medium-sized garlic cloves, fresh
• 80 g waxy potatoes
• 60 g carrot(s)
• 1 Pepper, red, long, mild
• 3 small red chili peppers
• 30 g white cabbage (leaves), fresh
• 2 m.-large bay leaves
• 8 cm cinnamon stick(s)
• 6 cloves
• 1 tsp rosemary, fresh or dried and shredded
• ½ tsp allspice powder
• 2 tbsp oyster sauce
• 1 tbsp soy sauce, light
• 3 tbsp vinegar, Chinese, mild, black, (Yongghun Laogu)
• 1 tbsp, levelled sugar, white
• 30 g tomato paste
• 6 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 tbsp wheat flour
• n. B. Salt and pepper to taste
• e.g. celery (leaves only), fresh
• n. B. Chives, fresh
• n. B. flowers and leaves

Instructions

Working time approx. 30 minutes; Rest time approx. 30 minutes; Cooking/baking time approx. 30 minutes; Total time approx. 1 hour 30 minutes

A truly exceptional tasting lentil soup with yellow lentils, mushrooms and vegetables.

Wash all the fruit and vegetables. Bring the water to a boil, dissolve the instant beef broth, add the shiitake mushrooms, and remove from the heat. Let the mushrooms swell for 30 minutes. Then press the broth out of the mushrooms and add the lentils to the broth. Cut the mushroom caps into thumbnail-sized pieces. Discard the tough stems. Add them to the broth along with all the spices. Meanwhile, cut the celery stalks into approximately 3 mm wide rolls and add to the lentils. Trim both ends of the onions and garlic cloves, peel them, and roughly chop them. Peel the potato and cut into approximately 2 cm pieces. Peel the carrot, quarter it lengthwise, and cut it crosswise into approximately 5 mm thick pieces. Cut the chilies crosswise into thin slices, leaving the seeds and discarding the stems. Halve the peppers lengthwise, remove the seeds, and cut diagonally into approximately 2 cm wide pieces. Remove the center stalk of the white cabbage leaves and chop the leaves into approximately 3 x 3 cm pieces and set aside. Heat a medium-sized pan, add 4 tablespoons of the oil, and let it heat through. Add the onion, garlic, potato, carrot, chili, and pepper pieces and fry until the onions begin to brown. Add to the lentil soup and bring to a simmer. Stir the tomato paste into the broth. Cover and simmer for 25 minutes, then season to taste. Heat the remaining oil in a small pan, add the wheat flour, and fry until light brown. Deglaze with plenty of the broth and return to the soup. Add the white cabbage leaves and simmer for 1 minute. Ladle the soup into serving bowls, garnish, and serve hot with white rice.