Anything-goes Lentil Soup
For some bizarre reason, Ravi and I have been craving more and more soups after our move to Florida. I’m guessing it’s the comfort food factor. Or maybe I’m subconsciously empathizing with all of the winter weather posts I see from our friends back in CT and my family in Indiana who are experiencing -20 degree temps this week (!).
Not to toot my own horn, but I’m really good at making soup from pretty much any ingredients we have in the pantry + fridge. This lentil soup is a favorite that we’ve been making almost weekly. View this as more of a method than a recipe, utilizing the bits and bobs you have that need to be used up at the end of the week.
Anything-goes Lentil Soup
Serves 4
Ingredients:
2 Tbs. extra virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, finely diced
2 medium carrots, diced
1-2 celery ribs, diced
2 large cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
1/2 tsp. sweet paprika
dash red pepper flakes
6-7 sprigs fresh thyme and/or one 2-inch sprig rosemary
1 bay leaf
1/2 cup french of green lentils
1/4 cup red lentils
1 heaping cup butternut squash or sweet potato, cubed
4-6 cups low-sodium organic vegetable broth or filtered water
1 bunch greens, chopped (chard, kale, collards, spinach)
1-2 Tbs. sherry vinegar (or other acid of choice — red wine, balsamic, etc.)
Fine sea salt + black pepper, to taste
Directions:
Heat olive oil to medium in a large dutch oven or stock pot. Add onion, carrot, and celery along with a good pinch of sea salt — cook for 5-8 minutes until the vegetables start to soften and brown slightly. Add garlic, spices, and herbs and sauté another 30-60 seconds until fragrant and starting to toast.
Next, add in both types of lentils, the butternut squash, 4 cups vegetable broth, and another pinch of sea salt. Bring to a boil then reduce to simmer for 30-minutes until the lentils are soft. If needed, add in an additional 1-2 cups water or broth after the soup has simmered for 20 minutes or so. (I’ve realized soup thickness is very personal!)
At this point, remove bay leaf and herb stems. You can either puree half the soup with an immersion blender or leave it chunky.
Five minutes before serving, wilt in the greens and add the vinegar. Taste for salt + pepper and adjust to your liking.
Serving piping hot drizzled with olive oil and a big piece of sourdough bread for dunking.
Leftovers will keep for 2-3 days in the fridge or can be frozen for up to one month.
