Tomato Soup with Spanish Lentils

Make the garlic oil: Put the olive oil and garlic cloves in a heavy-bottomed pot over low to medium heat; roast the garlic cloves, stirring occasionally, until they are golden brown and tender, about 20 minutes. Remove the garlic from the pot and set aside.

In the same pot over medium heat, using all that garlicky oil, add the sliced shallots and ¼ tsp of the salt, and cook until the shallots are caramelized and soft, about 10 minutes.

While the shallots are cooking, in a medium pot, bring 2 cups (480 ml) of water, the lentils, and 1 tsp of the salt to a simmer. Cook the lentils until they are halfway done, 10 to 15 minutes. Strain the lentils and reserve the cooking liquid.

When the shallots are caramelized, add the tomatoes, soubise, raisins, hemp hearts, flaxseed, tahini, coriander, the remaining 1 tsp of salt, and the roasted garlic to the pot. Simmer for 10 minutes. Let it cook down a bit, and then transfer to a blender (or use an immersion blender) and purèe for 3 to 4 minutes, scraping down the sides of the blender several times to make sure all the ingredients get fully incorporated.

Wipe out the pot and add the blended soup back into the same pot, along with the lentils and the reserved cooking liquid. Simmer over low heat until the lentils are tender, 20 to 30 minutes. You might need to add 1 to 3 cups (240 to 720 ml) of water at this point if it is too thick (it should be a hearty soup consistency).

Season with the sherry wine vinegar and more salt. Serve immediately. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3 to 5 days, or freeze for up to 3 months.