Sweet, sour, and spicy lentil soup

Ingredients for 2 servings:

• 250 orange juice
• 3 tbsp rice wine vinegar, dark, mild
• 3 tbsp soy sauce, salty
• 1 tsp Szechuan pepper, freshly ground
• 100 g Pardina Lentils, dried
• 120 g sweet potato(s), yellow
• 1 m.-large spring onion(s)
• 1 pepper, red, long, medium hot
• 4 m.-large kaffir lime leaves
• 2 small onions
• 8 cloves
• 1 cinnamon stick(s), approx. 8 cm
• 1 star anise, optional
• n. B. salt and pepper, black

Instructions

Working time approx. 20 minutes; Cooking/baking time approx. 30 minutes; Total time approx. 50 minutes

An appetizer or entrée from North Sulawesi, Indonesia.

Wash the lentils until the washing water runs clear. Mix all the ingredients for the broth and let the lentils soak in it overnight. The next day, wash and peel a sweet potato and cut it into bite-sized pieces. Slice the washed spring onion crosswise into thin rings. Reserve 2 tablespoons of the green rings for garnishing. Cut the washed chili pepper diagonally into approximately 4 mm thick slices. Leave the seeds and discard the stem. Pierce the washed kaffir lime leaves with a fork. Peel the onions and stud them with the cloves. Bring the broth and lentils to a simmer. Add the vegetables and all the seasoning ingredients and simmer with the lid on until the lentils are tender (approx. 20 to 30 minutes). Season to taste with salt and black pepper. Transfer to a soup tureen, garnish with the reserved spring onion rings, serve, and enjoy.