Autumn Soup
It was a rainy, dreary, yet crisp mid-autumn afternoon. The intense dark storm clouds in the Phoenix sky were certainly a welcome sight after so many seemingly endless days of uncomfortable, miserable heat. The leaves on our trees in the back yard were now starting to turn various shades of yellow, orange and red. They all looked so vibrant on their stems, just waiting for that perfect and eventual moment to fall.
There’s that word — fall. It’s undoubtedly my favorite season of the year. It’s the time for Halloween trick-or-treaters, cozy sweaters, hot cocoa with marshmallows, reading a good book or watching a favorite movie or TV program while curled up in a big blanket, or enjoying a delicious bowl of hearty, warm soup.
I have fond memories of growing up with my dad, as he could be found on many fall weekends in our family’s kitchen, chopping onions, celery and carrots while preparing his incredible homemade lentil soup. It’s easily my favorite. He happened to be making a large pot of it this particular lazy afternoon. I asked if I could help him by dicing the onions, celery and carrots, and then placed them all into a skillet with a touch of olive oil for sautéing, while he poured the vegetable broth and previously soaked dried lentils and black-eyed peas into the pot. After the vegetables were sautéed to just the right doneness — slightly firm — Dad added them to the soup. He then seasoned it with several fresh and dried herbs as only he can.
After bringing the glorious mixture to a boil, he reduced the heat and it was then simmer, simmer, simmer…the cooking process seemed incredibly slow to me, but the result was always well worth the wait. The wonderful combined aroma of onion, with a slight hint of garlic, spreading throughout our modest house became increasingly apparent, and Dad remarked that it reminded him of earlier times at both his parents’ and grandparents’ houses when he was a young boy. This was a family tradition he thoroughly enjoyed to preserve and pass down to me.
I curled up in my favorite big comfy chair in our family room, grabbed the engaging book I had been reading for the past few days, and occasionally glanced out the window in the hope of catching sight of a single leaf as it fell to the ground while I waited for the oven timer to go off.
Ding!
The lentil soup was finally ready. I immediately hurried over to the stovetop. Scooping up two large servings with a big ladle, I carefully placed them into my bowl. I couldn’t help but admire the lovely oranges and greens that stood out against the overall brown color of the soup. The contrast of colors, in my mind, was almost as if the soup somehow represented the transition from summer into fall.
After pausing for a brief moment to reflect and fully appreciate this handcrafted bowl of soup, simple in content, yet complex in its ability to evoke such pleasant images in my mind, I picked up my spoon and gathered up a big bite. I say “bite,” because this soup isn’t your typical soup. It’s heavy on the vegetables and beans and light on the broth. Its thicker consistency is just exactly the way I prefer it, because I’m not a real “light” soup person. I can’t stand soups having a more watery consistency.
I blew carefully on my first spoonful to cool it a bit before eagerly gulping it down.
Mm’mm — so very good I thought. The taste was incredible. Dad didn’t let me down as usual. It was pure heaven, especially with the slice of thick, warm buttered French bread I had to accompany it.
This bowl of soup warmed me instantly. It was a comforting and reassuring feeling to have in contrast to the cold and wet conditions I observed outside. It not only made me physically warm, it warmed my heart emotionally as well. In a strange way it made me feel safe and protected.
Reflecting back on that particular day, and reliving all those wonderful childhood memories of my dad making his homemade lentil soup is something I will treasure forever.
Autumn, with all of its welcomed seasonal changes, and enjoying a bowl of Dad’s lentil soup will remain two of my most favorite things in life.
