The Kurillian Table · Tiressian Empire · Day of Oaths Festival
Day of Oaths Ceremonial Lentil Soup
“We renew our vows. We share our sustenance. We remain bound.”
The Day of Oaths
The Day of Oaths is when every Tiressian citizen renews their personal and civic commitments to the empire — guilds reaffirm contracts, soldiers renew military vows, officials swear their ethical codes, families pledge mutual support. After the formal ceremonies, communities gather for shared meals featuring this lentil soup. It is prepared the night before in civic centres, with volunteer citizens from all social classes working side by side. A senator might chop vegetables alongside a street sweeper. This is not symbolic. It is the literal point.
The soup’s simplicity is the point. On a day dedicated to renewed commitment, the meal cannot distract with complexity or create divisions through varying quality. Everyone eats the same soup from the same pot, regardless of rank. The emperor eats from the same batch as the newest conscript. The vinegar added at the end brightens the flavour and, according to traditional interpretation, represents the sharpness of accountability in oath-keeping. This is the kind of explanation Tiressians give with complete seriousness, and it is the kind of explanation that has been recorded in civic documentation for generations.
It is considered deeply disrespectful to refuse the soup or request a different meal on this day. Leftover soup is never thrown away — it is distributed to anyone who could not attend the ceremony. The sick, the elderly, prisoners, travellers passing through. The bonds of oath and obligation extend beyond those physically present. Tiressia means this literally.
Recipe
Day of Oaths Ceremonial Lentil Soup
Serves
12–15
Prep
15 minutes
Cook
45 minutes
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 large onions, diced
- 3 carrots, diced
- 3 celery stalks, diced
- 6 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 cups brown or green lentils, rinsed
- 1 can (14 oz) diced tomatoes
- 8 cups vegetable or chicken stock
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 teaspoons dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 2 cups kale or spinach, chopped
- 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Crusty bread and olive oil for serving
Instructions
- Heat olive oil in a very large pot over medium heat.
- Add onions, carrots, and celery. Cook until softened, about 10 minutes.
- Add garlic and cook 1 minute until fragrant.
- Add lentils, tomatoes, stock, bay leaves, thyme, and oregano. Stir to combine.
- Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer partially covered for 35–40 minutes until lentils are completely tender.
- Add chopped greens and cook 5 more minutes until wilted.
- Stir in vinegar. Season with salt and pepper. The soup should be well-seasoned but not aggressive — balanced.
- Remove bay leaves before serving.
- Ladle into bowls. Traditional serving requires everyone to be seated before anyone begins eating, symbolising collective action. Serve with bread and a small dish of olive oil for drizzling.
Variations
Sausage Addition: Add sliced preserved sausage for a heartier version served at military garrison Day of Oaths celebrations where caloric demands are higher.
Grain Addition: Stir in 1 cup cooked barley in the final minutes for additional substance — common in the northern provinces where winters are harder.
Lemon Finish: Use lemon juice instead of vinegar for a brighter, fresher flavour popular in the warmer southern river provinces.
Kurillian Notes
Children born on the Day of Oaths are considered blessed with strong character. Their naming ceremonies include the symbolic gesture of the infant’s hand being dipped in the cooled soup. This tradition has a recorded history of four hundred years and was nearly abolished once, by an efficiency-minded Prefect who considered it unsanitary. The Iron Senate voted to retain it twelve to two. The two dissenters were reminded that efficiency is not the only Tiressian value.
Leave a Reply