Summer Red Lentils Soup

2 cup of red lentils, washed, sorted and soaked

Small piece of kombu, washed

6 cups of water

2 gloves of garlic, finely minced — optional

1 small onion, finely minced

1 T of extra virgin olive oil, cold pressed

2 T of barley miso, pureed with warm water

A dash of umeboshi vinegar and soy sauce

1 T parsley

Preparation: Saute the onions and garlic in olive oil till translucent. Add lentils and water and bring to a boil. Then simmer everything for 1/2 hour. Add the pureed miso with a dash of umeboshi vinegar and soy sauce and simmer on a low flame with flame deflector for 5 minutes. Serve hot with minced parsley.

Variation: Instead of the Japanese ingredients miso, umeboshi vinegar and soy sauce add East Indian spices like curry, turmeric, black pepper, or cumin for another taste.

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