This vegetarian lentil soup is packed with exotic flavors, protein, nutrients, and heart-warming goodness. This soup freezes beautifully, another reason I love this soup. Make a large pot and save some for later, and if you aren’t sure if your kids or spouse will eat lentil soup, don’t ask, just make it. I am sure they will like it!
Serves 8-10
You will need:
1 bag of Brown Lentils about 2 cups
2 small sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch cubes
2 cups fresh spinach
1 tsp of powder cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
2 bay leaves
2 tsp of curry powder
1 tsp of Turmeric
½ tsp of cinnamon
2 tsp of crushed cayenne pepper (more if you like heat)
1 onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 serrano chile (optional)
2 carrot, diced or cut round
2 celery stalk, diced
2 (32 fl oz.) boxes vegetable stock
1 (28 oz.) large can diced tomatoes with green chiles
2 cups water
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper, to taste
How to do it:
In a large pot, heat the olive oil, sauté the onion, and garlic in a large stockpot over medium-high heat until the veggies turn translucent.
Add carrot, celery and serrano Chile and continue to sauté for 5 minutes
Add the vegetable broth, the diced tomatoes, bay leaves, and thyme.
Rinse the lentils thoroughly until the water runs clear. Add the lentils in and add all of your dry spices
Turn up the heat to bring the mixture to a boil and then reduce the heat to medium, add the sweet potatoes and let the dish simmer for 30 to 40 minutes, or until it has thickened considerably and the lentils are tender.
Once the lentils have attained their desired softness and you are ready to serve, add the spinach. You can chop the spinach, if desired, but it is not necessary. I prefer to add the leaves whole. Spinach shrinks when it is cooked, so chopping isn"t really necessary.
Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper if necessary and stir.
Remove bay leaves and serve warm.
Enjoy
