Sunday Super Soup

Here is a master recipe for a soup you really don’t need a recipe for. For the bones of it, you start with a mirepoix (chopped onion, carrot and celery), then add spices, lentils, tomato and water, simmer a while, add leafy greens and simmer a few more minutes. The whole thing takes about an hour, or even less.

It’s delicious and super healthful, easy and quicker than you’d think in its basic form, but you can riff on it infinitely, adding all kinds of produce, dried or fresh mushrooms, leftover cooked vegetables, herbs, salad greens, etc. etc. Read more about that, along with more things we love about the soup, in our story. Don’t be put off by the deceptively long ingredient list as fully half of them are optional, designed to use up stuff in your fridge.

For the ground cumin and ground coriander seed, it’s best to use whole seeds and grind them in a spice grinder or with a mortar and pestle; toast them first in a pan until fragrant, if you like.

Serves from 1 (for two or three weeks) to a giant crowd.

Ingredients

2 to 3 tablespoons olive oil, grapeseed oil, canola oil or other cooking oil

1/2 cup to 2 cups diced onion

2 to 6 diced carrots

4 to 10 stalks diced celery, including the leaves (if any)

1/2 cup to 2 cups diced turnip (optional)

1 or 2 sliced leeks (optional)

2 cloves to 1 head of garlic, peeled and smashed or sliced (optional)

1 teaspoon to 2 tablespoon (or more) chopped ginger (optional)

1 cup (or more or less) chopped fresh mushrooms or 1/2 ounce to 2 ounces dried mushrooms

1 to 3 teaspoons ground turmeric

1 teaspoon ground coriander seed

1 teaspoon ground cumin, sumac or za’atar (optional)

1 teaspoon nigella seeds (also known as charnuska or kalonji, optional)

2 cups (or more or less) lentils: any combination of green, black, red, yellow and brown that you like

1 16-ounce can diced tomatoes (or whole ones, squished up), with their liquid

8 cups (or more as needed) water

1 to 4 bay leaves (optional)

1 to 2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves or oregano leaves (optional)

Cruciferous and other vegetables (optional, in any combination, chopped or cut into bite-sized pieces): Brussels sprouts, broccoli, cauliflower, rapini, broccolini, cauliflower rice, peeled eggplant, green beans, scallions, potato, sweet potato

2 teaspoons salt, plus more to taste

1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon or more cayenne pepper, Aleppo pepper, chile powder or Espellette pepper, to taste

1/2 cup to 8 cups sliced or chopped leafy greens or whole baby leafy greens (arugula, kale, spinach, lettuce, any type of cabbage, etc.)

1/4 cup to 1 cup (or more) chopped fresh soft herbs, such as parsley, cilantro, dill, mint or basil, alone or in any combination (optional)

1/4 cup to 1 cup (or more) tender, quick-cooking vegetables such as thin-sliced or diced zucchini (optional)

1/4 cup to 1 cup leftover cooked vegetables, chopped or cut into bite-sized pieces (optional)

Instructions

1. In a large soup pot, heat the olive oil (or other oil) over medium heat till shimmering. Add the onion, carrots and celery, along with turnips and leeks (if you’re using them). Cook, stirring now and then, till the onions are getting soft and translucent, five to eight minutes or so.

2. (OPTIONAL STEP) If you’re using garlic and/or ginger, stir them in and cook for another minute.

3. (OPTIONAL STEP) If you’re using fresh mushrooms, if using, and cook five minutes or so, until the mushrooms begin to give up their water.

4. Stir in the turmeric and coriander seed (and/or cumin, sumac or za’atar and nigella seed, if using), and cook for two or three minutes.

5. Add the lentils, tomato, water and bay leaf and/or thyme or oregano (if using), along with dried mushrooms (if using). Stir to combine, bring to a boil over medium high heat, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer, uncovered for 25 to 35 minutes, until lentils are tender and the texture is soupy.

6. (OPTIONAL STEP) About 10 or 15 minutes after you’ve added the lentils, add the cruciferous and other longer-cooking vegetables, if you’re using any. Continue cooking until the lentils are tender and the texture is soupy.

7. Give the soup a stir, and add water, if necessary, to get the soupiness you’d like. You can also leave it very thick, if you’d like something with a more stew-like or vegan-chili-like texture. Add the salt and whatever kind of chile/red pepper you’ve chosen, stir, taste and adjust seasoning (adding more salt if necessary).

8. Stir in the leafy greens, and fresh herbs (if using), along with any optional quick-cooking tender vegetables and leftover cooked vegetables you might be using.

9. Cook an additional 5 or 10 minutes, or until the last additional has the texture you want. Adjust seasoning and serve.