Empty House Lentil Soup

No vegetables in my fridge, no gas in my car, no knowledge of a nearby gas station with gas to sell me, and no desire to waste my hard earned cash on eating out. On the fourth day of being shacked up in my apartment, and for the first time in a WHOLE WEEK that no one is home when I am home (a topic for another day...), I wanted to eat dinner. But how? you ask. Empty House Lentil Soup, that's it!

OK, I lied. I had carrots in the fridge and 1.5 onions and some garlic. And cilantro that I bought by accident in a rush thinking it was parsley. And some lemons. So here is how I fed myself from my pantry and limited cold supplies. I honestly wouldn't post this recipe if it wasn't tasty, and I'll just say this soup saved me and I think has turned into something I would actually make again! And thank you to Laurel's Kitchen for inspirational "Golden Broth" (which is basically the first 6 ingredients minus the cumin).

1 T olive oil
1 onion, diced
1 whole clove garlic
1/2 t tumeric
1/2 t cumin
1/2 c split yellow peas
1 1/2 c lentils
2 carrots, diced
8 c water
salt and pepper to taste
cooked soba noodles
fresh chopped cilantro
1 T butter
1/2 onion, sliced thin
lemon wedges

In a medium saucepan, saute onion, garlic, and spices in olive oil. Add the peas, lentils, and carrots when the onion is translucent, then add the water. Stir, bring to a boil, and reduce to a simmer. Let simmer 45 min to 1 hr. Season to taste, and then puree some of the soup if you want. In a separate pan, caramelize the sliced onions in melted butter. (cook over low heat for 15 min or until turning brown.) Serve soup in mugs or bowls with soba noodles in the bottom and a sprinkle of fresh cilantro, browned onions, and a squeeze of lemon on top.