Cream of Tomato Soup with Lentils

A hearty fall soup that uses turmeric. How many times do I get to use that in a week? I got good reviews with this one but the men unanimously agreed they'd like it better with sliced sausage. Heathens. I suppose a good chorizo would be tasty in it. You could use fat free half-and-half and chicken sausage if you were watching the calories.

1 T olive oil
2 c chopped onion
1 t ground turmeric
1 t ground cumin
1 t chili powder
1 t ground black pepper
1 t salt
4 garlic cloves, minced
4 c water
1 pound of dried lentils
3 14-oz cans chicken broth
2 14-oz cans diced tomatoes
1/3 c chopped fresh cilantro
1 c heavy cream

Saute onions in oil over medium heat for five minutes until soft. Add turmeric through garlic and cook one more minute. Add water, lentils, broth and tomatoes and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 90 minutes or until lentils are soft and cooked through. Add chopped cilantro and simmer 10 more minutes. Add cream and serve garnished with cilantro sprigs.

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