Feed a Cold?

Or is it starve a cold? I can never remember. In any event I went to bed last night with a sore throat that only got worse through the night, feeling super achy just to top it all off. Oh, and my annoying upstairs neighbor decided that midnight was the time to break out his nonexistent karaoke skills. I think the correct term is caterwauling. It did NOT make me feel any better. I have to work on enacting my perfect revenge...

This morning I still felt like crap so started downing cup after cup of hot tea and honey. It's amazing how much better that works than just drinking water. Hydration + sedation = tea. It helped, but was it going to be enough to keep whatever it was at bay? (H1N1? Maybe? But I've been using hand sanitizer after the gym and the subway!)

I thought about what I should try to eat and soup seemed the perfect choice. I almost had everything I needed to make a homemade chicken soup but soon realized that the only chicken I had was over a week old and I didn't need to add food poisoning to my list of illnesses. I did have everything to make a spicy curry soup (which first appeared in The Ski House Cookbook) so I got off the couch and went to work.

This soup cooks up really fast which is a benefit to using lentils over other beans. And since I was needing extra relief from whatever was ailing me, I added extra spices in hopes that it would somehow knock my so-called illness out of my head. I have to say, it really helped. I actually managed to shower to meet some friends at the movies and I'm feeling quite a bit better. Although I'm still drinking tea and taking vitamin C and zinc, I'm hopeful that, unlike after midterms in college, I will not be home bound and unable to get out of bed. I've got pies to bake. And eat!

Curried Red Lentil Soup

1 1/2 cups dried red lentils
3 cups low-sodium chicken broth (or vegetable broth)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, diced
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (or more)
2 celery ribs, diced
2 medium carrots, diced
6 garlic cloves, minced
2 teaspoons cumin
1 1/2 teaspoons curry powder
2 teaspoons salt
1 - 2 tablespoons grated fresh ginger (depending on your preference)

1. Rinse the lentils and place them in a large pot with the broth and 3 cups of water. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes.

2. While the lentils are cooking, heat the oil in a medium skillet over medium heat and add the onion and cayenne. Cook until the onions are soft, about 5 - 6 minutes. Add the celery, carrots, garlic, cumin, curry powder, and salt and cook for 5 minutes. Stir in the ginger and cook for 1 minute more. Add the vegetable mixture to the simmering lentils and cook for 25 - 30 minutes.

3. Using an immersion blender, puree the soup until smooth. Taste and adjust the seasoning. Serve immediately. Serves about 6.