Curried Lentil Soup

This recipe is from epicurious.com. It's a wonderfully hearty soup. It's flexible too because you can add curry powder to taste, and with a little effort it can be vegan. The tomato soup is the key to doing that. There are several non-dairy tomato soups available in most super markets.

3 T olive oil
1 medium red onion, chopped
1 medium carrot, finely chopped
3-4 large garlic cloves, chopped, divided
2 T (or more) curry powder
1 c French green lentils
2 1/2 c water
2 c tomato soup OR 1 c chicken broth and 1 c tomato soup OR 2 c chicken broth
1 15 oz can garbanzo beans, drained, rinsed
1 T fresh lemon juice
2 green onions, thinly sliced
Several lemon wedges

Heat 1 T olive oil in heavy large pot over medium heat.
Add onion and carrot; salt and pepper to taste. Cook until onion is translucent, stirring occasionally.
Add half of chopped garlic; stir until vegetables are soft but not brown, about 4 minutes.
Add curry powder; stir until fragrant, about 1 minute.
Add lentils and 2 c water and tomato soup/chicken broth. Increase heat and bring to boil.
Reduce heat to medium and simmer until lentils are tender, anywhere from 30-45 minutes.
At 30 minutes, check and add 1/4 c water if needed.
Meanwhile, puree chickpeas, lemon juice, 2 T olive oil, and remaining garlic in a small food processor.
When lentils are soft, add puree to soup.
Add additional curry powder if desired.
Add water in 1/4 c amounts to thin soup to desired consistency.

Serve with thinly sliced green onions and lemon wedges.