Sequestration Meal #636

 

Sometimes, all I want is something warm and wholesome. Nothing too complicated, just a bowl of some good stuff. This red lentil turmeric pastina soup (recipe from Sugar Love Spices) and a tomato sandwich, and it really hit the spot.

The soup is very easy--you start with a finely chopped mirepoix cooked in olive oil, then add a bit of chopped tomato, some red lentils, basil, and vegetable broth. Finally, you cook the pastina in the broth.

I like having a sandwich with soup, so I pulled some of the good bread out of the freezer and made a classic tomato sandwich (vegan mayo, salt, pepper, and sliced tomato). There are few things on earth better than that in tomato season. I'm so glad I started letting myself splurge occasionally on a loaf of bakery bread that I then stick in the freezer to dole out over the next few months when such impulses strike me. It's so comforting. And sometimes I do want something other than my standard multigrain-and-seed bread.

The soup tastes like it's good for you. Usually, when people say that, they mean that they don't like it, but they'll eat it. That's not what I mean. It's really tasty, too, but eating it feels deeply nourishing. The textures were really good here, too. I personally also think it's pretty to look out, with or without the basil garnish I added.

Things don't have to be complicated, even if I tend to overcomplicate them. I love this time of year--fall has always been my favorite season--full of chilly mornings and pleasant afternoons, and so much is still in season even while we're starting to see the more wintery produce come in.