Five-Alarm Lentil Soup

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 red onions, chopped
• 3 large carrots, chopped
• 5 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons smoked paprika
• 2 tablespoons ground cumin
• 3 bay leaves
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 3/4 cup Sriracha, plus more for garnish
• 1 (14 1/2-ounce) can stewed tomatoes
• 1 pound red lentils
• 8 cups vegetable stock
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• Sour cream, for garnish
• Chopped fresh cilantro or chives, for garnish

1. Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat.
2. Add the onions and carrots and saute until they begin to soften, 6 to 8 minutes.
3. Stir in the garlic, paprika, cumin,bay leaves, tomato paste, and Sriracha, cooking for 1 to 2 minutes, until aromatic.
4. Add the tomatoes, and scrape up any of the brown bits that have accumulated at the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon.
5. Pour in the lentils and vegetable stock, stirring to combine.
6. Bring to a boil, lower the heat, and simmer, uncovered, for 20 to 30 minutes, until the lentils are softened and cooked thoroughly.
7. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
8. Discard the bay leaves.
9. Ladle into bowls.
10. Garnish with a dollop of sour cream, a sprinkling of cilantro, and perhaps a last minute squiggle of Sriracha for color and zip.
11. Instead of garnishing with a spoon of plain sour cream, try a dollop of Sriracha Sour Cream (page 24) in your bowl to bring on some extra pain.

olive oil, red onions, carrots, garlic, paprika, ground cumin, bay leaves, tomato paste, sriracha, tomatoes, red lentils, vegetable stock, salt, sour cream, fresh cilantro

Taken from www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/five-alarm-lentil-soup-379489 (may not work)