Super-Warming Green Lentil and Baby Kale Soup

This soulful, earthy, warming, lightly-spicy vegan soup – loaded with anti-oxidants and superfoods (kale, garlic, turmeric, onions, carrots, tomatoes, lentils, olive oil, celery) – tastes like something that's been simmering all day, but it comes together in just about an hour – with just a few minutes of prep time. Be sure the can of tomatoes you use does not include sugar (lots of them do!). We dreamt this up in December 2016, and since then have been making some version of it every week or so through the colder months.

It later became the basis for our master recipe, Sunday Souper Soup, which is customizable according to what you have in the fridge and pantry.

Feel free to substitute baby arugula or spinach for the kale, if that’s what you have or prefer. And if you like an extra kick, it’s really nice with a little harissa, salsa macha, chile crisp or other chile sauce swirled in — we like to pass it separately at the table for the spice folks.

The soup freezes really well — and it’s a fabulous thing to find and defrost on a chilly day, or to deliver to a friend who’s under the weather.

Serves 6.

Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 large onion, chopped

2 large or 3 medium carrots, sliced or roughly chopped

2 celery stalks, diced

6 garlic cloves, roughly chopped

2 bay leaves

2 or 3 branches of thyme

1 teaspoon ground turmeric

1/2 teaspoon ground coriander

2 cups (14 ounces) green lentils, rinsed

1 14.5-ounce can of chopped tomatoes, including their liquid

2 1/2 to 3 cups baby kale leaves (about half a 5-ounce cello pack)

1 teaspoon sea salt

1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Instructions

1. Heat the olive oil in a soup pot over medium heat. Add the onion, carrots and celery and sauté till the onion is soft and translucent, about 6 minutes. Stir in the garlic, bay leaves and thyme and cook another two minutes or so. Stir in the turmeric and coriander and let cook another two minutes or so. 

2. Add the lentils and the tomatoes (including their liquid), along with 7 cups of water and stir to combine. Bring to a simmer, uncovered, over medium-high heat, then reduce heat to medium-low and let simmer about half an hour to 45 minutes or until the lentils are tender (if they're tender before half an hour is up, let it simmer the whole half hour. If it's getting too thick, you can add another cup of water). 

3. Remove the thyme branches and bay leaves and stir in the kale, along with the salt and cayenne pepper. Let it cook 10 or 15 minutes (it's ready when it's delicious). Adjust seasoning and serve.