Nik Sharma's Kimchi Lentil Soup
another kimchi stew from another substack
Hello! Tonight’s soup comes courtesy a recommendation by my friend Beth, who somehow found time to text me this recipe link despite having twins approximately one week ago. A multitasking queen! I just got back to New York from a quick trip to Orlando. After a long airport day delayed by the FAA groundstop, this was a great soup for the gross rain happening now.
It’s a super quick weeknight soup that sans egg [ed. update: and with kombu broth instead of hondashi and with specifically vegan kimchi] is VEGAN. This was my first time using Hondashi despite having in my pantry for …a while. Delicious! Easy! I have a vision of a Hondashi stock with tofu and herbs and crisp tender greenery, but that’s another soupletter. The original recipe calls for already cooked lentils, but in no world do I ever have already cooked plain lentils around, so I switched the order of operations to cook the lentils directly in the soup. I used black lentils (what I had and what was recommended) but I think I’d also enjoy green lentils that break down a little bit more. I had 1/2 cup lentils on hand, I think you could still go with the original measurements. I served with rice; classic.
Please, please keep sending me soup recipes you want to see! !!!!!1 !12!@
Nik Sharma’s Kimchi Lentil Soup
2 Tbsp sesame or grapeseed oil
1 small onion/150 g, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced
6 garlic cloves, grated or thinly sliced
1 tsp dashi or hondashi
1 cup/200 g cooked black lentils
4 cups/960 ml water
1 cup/224 g chopped kimchi, chopped
Soy Sauce
2 6-minute eggs, peeled and halved lengthwise (leave if making vegan)
scallions, trimmed, both white and green parts thinly sliced
cilantro leaves
Heat the oil over medium heat in a medium Dutch oven or saucepan.
Sauté the onions until they turn translucent, 2 to 3 minutes, then add garlic and cook until fragrant. Add lentils, hondashi and water. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce to a simmer, cooking until lentils are tender, about 20 minutes. Add kimchi and juices and bring back to a simmer. Taste and season with soy sauce; you shouldn’t need to. Remove from the heat.
Serve hot or warm; garnish each bowl with half a boiled egg, scallions, and cilantro.