Jim's Red Lentil Soup

I got a version of this from cook's illustrated and we love it. i
have experimented with it over the years and below is the version we
like the most. it takes about 30 minutes to prepare.

red lentil soup

4 cups chicken broth
2 cups water (add more if the soups starts to get too thick)
2 cups split, rinsed red lentils (you can use any lentils, but red
lentils don't have a seed coat, so they take less time to cook - if
you use regular lentils, you may have to cook the soup a little longer
and use more water)
1 T olive oil
1 onion, minced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 T fresh grated ginger
1.5 t garam masala (an indian blend of coriander, cardamom, cumin,
cinnamon, and cloves - you can buy garam masala or just sprinkle in
some of each of these)
1 14oz can coconut milk - you can use the light variety if you want,
but we use just regular coconut milk
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro - if you don't like cilantro (and our
son tony doesn't), then add fresh spinach near the end of the cooking
time (or it will get mushy). i add lots of spinach - like two cups.
fresh ground black pepper
3 roma tomatoes - cored, seeded and chopped coarse

bring broth, water, lentils and 1/2 t salt to a boil, covered, in a
large saucepan. reduce to simmer and cook covered until you are ready
to add them to the next pot.

heat the oil in another pan and saute the onion and a sprinkle of salt
until soft and lightly browned, 3 to 5 minutes. then add the garlic,
ginger and garam masala - cook until fragrant (about 1 minute). then
add the lentils with the broth, scraping up any browned bits and
mixing the whole thing well. add the coconut milk and then bring to a
simmer and cook until the lentils are soft and the soup is thick. if
you need to, add more water so the soup doesn't get too thick.

once the lentils are soft, remove from heat and add the cilantro or
spinach and stir until the cilantro is incorporated or the spinach is
soft (a minute or so). season with salt and pepper to taste, then
serve with chopped tomatoes sprinked on top of individual servings.
of course, goes great with crusty bread and butter. delicious and
healthy!