Instructions: Rinse and pick over the lentils. Place the lentils and water in a soup pot or Dutch oven and bring to a boil. Cover, lower the heat to a simmer and cook for about 15 minutes.

Add the onion, cumin and mustard, and continue to simmer, covered, until the lentils are very soft (about 15 more minutes). Add small amounts of additional water, if it seems too thick.

Add the garlic, apricots and salt, cover and let it simmer for another 15 minutes or so. Stir in the vinegar, black pepper, and cayenne to taste (and correct the salt, too, if necessary). At this point the soup will keep for several days.

Serve hot, topped with a few extra slivers of dried apricot, a swirl of yogurt and a sprig of cilantro or parsley, if desired.

This recipe yields 6 to 8 servings.

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