Lentil Vegetable Soup

Meera

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Prep Time 10

Cook Time 30

Course Lunch, Soup

Cuisine American, Italian

Servings -5

Equipment

Soup Pot or Dutch oven

Ingredients

1 medium onion, chopped finely
2 tbsp olive oil
1 medium carrot, finely chopped small pieces
1 medium leek, chopped finely
2 Sticks celery chopped small pieces
1 medium sweet potato diced into small pieces
4 cups Fresh chopped spinach
4-6 cloves garlic, minced one tsp heaped
½ cup puy lentils, rinsed clean and soaked for 30 minutes and cooked until soft and tender
½ cup Red split lentils(masoor dal) rinsed clean and soaked for 30 minutes and cooked until soft and tender
1 14 oz can tomatoes, crushed
1 Tsp Italian herbs or herbs de Provence
½ tsp ground turmeric
1 bay leaf
1/2-1 tsp red chili flakes
1 jalapeño, chopped optional
4-6 cups vegetable broth or (water+1 vegetable bullion cube)
2-3 tbsp coconut milk or cream optional
1 tsp ground cumin or curry powder
2-3 tbsp lemon juice

Toppings

chopped parsely
Parmesan cheese optional

Instructions

Finely chop the onion, carrot, leek and celery. Heat a large pot over medium heat, add and warm the olive oil. Add the bay leaf, chopped onions, leeks, carrots, celery, sweet potato, and garlic. Add the sea salt, black pepper and sauté until the onions are translucent, about 6 minutes.
Add the Italian herbs, curry powder or ground cumin, turmeric, red pepper, crushed tomatoes. Stir and sauté for 2 minutes. Add both the soaked lentils and 4 cups broth(more later if needed), stir well.
Bring the soup up to a boil, then turn the heat to a simmer, leave the lid ajar, and allow to cook for about 20-25 minutes. Check the vegetables and lentils, it should be tender and soft, but not mushy. Add more broth as needed for your desired thickness. Taste and season with more salt and pepper to taste.
Using the back of a ladle and mash the soup or use an immersion blender, give the soup a few pulses to give it some creamy texture, but don’t as far as a smooth puree.
Turn off the heat. Stir in the coconut milk, spinach and lemon juice. Allow the residual heat wilt the spinach.
Ladle into soup bowls and garnish with parsley and Parmesan. Best served with a crusty baguette on the side.

Notes

If lentils are precooked, reduce the cooking time to 12-15 minutes. But remember to soak the lentils to cut the cooking time.

Using the back of a ladle and mash the soup use or an immersion blender, give the soup a few pulses to give it some creamy texture, but don’t as far as a smooth puree***.