Lentil Soup

a winter soup perfect for a cold or when you're cold

My family’s been sick with the cold lately so I wanted to make a hearty but healthy soup and so I decided on making some lentil soup! I like to pack my soup with as many vegetables as I can, with carrots, celery, onion, leeks, and kale. I also love lentils and how they’re a great source of fiber and plant protein! 

My quick google search told me that lentils are loaded with fiber, potassium, folates, and iron. Also they’re a great source of plant protein. But just remember to wash them before using them! You want to get rid of any dirt and substance that could have been introduced to them during the drying process.

Ingredients

1 leek, sliced
2 large carrots, cut into circles
4 celery stalks, sliced
1 medium onion, diced
1 bunch kale, I used dino kale
4 cloves garlic, minced

Spices/herbs of choice (you can use whatever you prefer)
Mushroom powder, to taste
Thyme, 4 large pinches
Red pepper flakes, to taste
Fennel seeds, to taste
1/2 teaspoon cumin
Bay leaf

2 cups (~400 grams) green lentils
5-6 cups (~45 ounces) stock, I used homemade chicken stock
1/2 lemon
Salt and pepper
Olive oil, for coating the pot

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Directions

1. Chop up your vegetables. Remove the leaves from the stems of your kale. Then chop up the stems as well. Cut off the dark green tough part of the leek, wash it, then chop it up as well. Cut the leek in half length-wise and submerge in water to rid it of any dirt between the layers. Wash your lentils as well.

2. Coat a large pot with olive oil over medium-high to high heat. Add the carrots, celery, onion, kale stalks, and the tough part of the leek. Season with salt and pepper and cook while stirring for around 5 minutes until the onions turn translucent. Then add the leeks and garlic along with your spices/herbs of choice. I like to add a few shakes of mushroom powder and red pepper flakes, 4 large pinches of thyme, some fennel seeds, and 1/2 teaspoon cumin. Cook for 3-4 minutes more and then add 2 cups lentils along with 5-6 cups of your stock of choice. Once the soup comes to a boil, lower the heat to low to med-low and simmer for 40 minutes. Season with salt as you go.

3. Once the lentils are soft, taste the soup and adjust according to your preference. Add more water if needed. Squeeze the juice of half a lemon and tear up the kale leaves with your hands and add them to the soup. Remove from heat and enjoy!

I feel like the stock that you use makes a big difference. Store-bought stocks are usually quite flavorless and bland. I like to buy a rotisserie chicken and simmer the chicken bones with a few vegetables for a few hours.