IDEA ALLEY: Lentil Spinach, faux Taziki’s Tomato Basil soups

(Illustration by Kelly Brant)
(Illustration by Kelly Brant)

Recipes that appear in Idea Alley have not been tested by the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette.

"This recipe was inspired by a soup traditionally made on Good Friday when meat eating was frowned on. We think it's just right for a cold winter's day," writes Pat Thomas.

"It's an adaptation of a traditional Lebanese soup called Kibbet Heela. ... It makes a lot of soup so feel free to adjust the amounts for a smaller batch."

Lentil Spinach Soup

  • 1 cup PLUS 2 tablespoons lentils
  • 1 medium onion, diced
  • 1 ½ large carrots, diced
  • 1 ½ ribs celery, diced
  • 2 ½ tablespoons couscous
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 ½ teaspoons ground cumin
  • 2 ½ teaspoons ground black pepper
  • Juice of 1 small lemon
  • 6 to 8 ounces spinach, chopped
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil, plus more for drizzling
  • Plain yogurt, for serving

Simmer lentils in 9 cups water for 20 minutes. Add onion, carrots and celery, simmer 8 more minutes. Add couscous and garlic, simmer 5 minutes. Add cumin, black pepper, lemon juice and spinach; bring to boil then turn off heat. Stir in olive oil and serve with an additional drizzle of olive oil and a dollop of yogurt.

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And while we're on the subject of soup...

Back in late November, Gail Roberson requested a copycat recipe for Taziki's Mediterranean Cafe Tomato Basil Soup. The same week I received an email from Taziki's publicity team announcing the return of their "signature tomato soup" for a limited time — until Jan. 22. I used the publicity email as an opportunity to ask if Taziki's would be willing to share a version of the recipe for home cooks.

Although Taziki's did not send a recipe, they did send over a "basic ingredients" list: oils, carrots, onion, garlic, tomatoes, broth, peppers, chili powder, thyme and basil. Photos promoting the soup on social media gave slightly more detail (assuming they're accurate) showing round red tomatoes (as opposed to roma), roasted red bell pepper, dried thyme and red onion. The photo didn't provide any clues as to the type of oils or whether the broth was vegetable or chicken.

So I did a little more digging. According to the special diets menu portion of Taziki's website, the soup's ingredients are: roma tomatoes, diced tomatoes, tomato juice, salt, calcium chloride, citric acid, water, red onion, carrots, butter, basil, roasted red peppers, olive oil, canola oil, vegetable base (carrots, onion, celery, garlic, salt, black pepper), chili powder, dried thyme, cayenne pepper, feta and more basil.

My next step was a stop at the nearest Taziki's location for an order of the soup. I got it to-go and headed back to the ADG test kitchen. The serving of Taziki's soup was topped with a pile of slivered fresh basil and crumbled feta cheese. The color was more orange than red and it had some texture, but it was far from chunky. The flavor was...unexpected. It was quite spicy — enough to make my nose run — but not overwhelmingly so nor unpleasantly so.

I made two batches — one with fresh tomatoes and one with canned — using the information provided by Taziki's and general tomato soup recipes as my guide. The canned tomato batch was the definite winner, because winter tomatoes are, well, terrible.

Did mine taste exactly like the restaurant's? Of course not. But it was good and with a little tinkering I think a passable taste-alike is possible.

Not Quite Taziki's Tomato Basil Soup

  • 1 ½ teaspoons olive oil
  • 1 ½ teaspoons vegetable oil such as canola
  • 1 tablespoon butter
  • 1 red onion, diced
  • 2 carrots, peeled and diced (about ¾ cup)
  • Salt
  • 2 cloves garlic, smashed, peeled and coarsely chopped
  • ½ teaspoon dried thyme, or to taste
  • 1 to 2 teaspoons chile powder (I used a six pepper blend)
  • 1 (28-ounce) can whole tomatoes (roma/plum preferred)
  • 1 (15-ounce) can diced tomatoes
  • 2 teaspoons vegetable base such as Better Than Bouillon
  • 1 large red bell pepper, roasted, peeled and chopped OR 1 (12-ounce) jar roasted red pepper, drained and chopped
  • Ground red (cayenne) pepper, to taste (I started with ¼ teaspoon)
  • Ground black pepper, to taste (a few grinds)
  • Large handful fresh basil, chopped, plus more for garnish
  • Crumbed feta, for serving

In a Dutch oven or soup pot, heat olive oil, vegetable oil and butter over medium heat until butter is foamy. Add the diced onion and carrots and saute until onion is translucent and beginning to soften. Season with a sprinkle of salt and then add the garlic, thyme and chile powder. Cook, stirring, for 1 to 2 minutes more. Add the canned whole tomatoes, breaking them up with your hands, the diced tomatoes, vegetable base and 2 cups water. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer until the carrots are tender. Add the roasted red bell pepper and cook 5 minutes more. Using an immersion blender or working in batches in a traditional blender, puree soup to desired texture — not too chunky, not too smooth. Stir in the ground cayenne, black pepper and basil. Taste and adjust seasoning — salt, pepper, cayenne, basil.

Serve garnished with crumbled feta and more basil.

Makes about 6 servings.

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