(For those of you who do not practice Lent, Lent is a period of fasting/self-restraint in preparation for Easter. It begins on Ash Wednesday and ends the Thursday before Easter. Traditionally Ash Wednesday and Fridays during Lent are meatless.) Back in 2017, I shared my favorite soup, Lentil Soup With Greens. Today I’m sharing it again. It’s so easy and delicious.
I’ve loved lentil soup for decades. I love the taste, the ease in making it, and the versatility of the soup. Back in the 1980’s, my friend Mary would make a big pot of lentil soup for Lent. Her recipe was pretty basic but for the last 5 to 8 minutes of cooking, she added baby spinach on top of the soup and replaced the lid. The spinach steamed, and then she stirred the spinach through the soup before serving in bowls
Through the years, I’ve made lentil soup numerous times as it’s my favorite soup. I added spinach like Mary, but I found I prefer the flavor of sautéed greens with garlic to steamed spinach. I usually add carrots, sometimes a couple of cherry or grape tomatoes for a spark of flavor, and greens in a pan of olive oil, garlic, and shallots. My favorite green is baby spinach, but I also like lentil soup with chard or kale. I’ve even made it once with chopped cabbage. I saute all the veggies in olive oil in a separate pan. After removing the sautéed greens from the pan, I add a cup of water and stir to get all the flavor I can. That is then added to the soup. Great flavor and nutrition. Cooking one dish meals makes me very happy.
Today I am using kale. You cut around the tough stem and thinly slice kale ribbons. Kale ribbons work well for salads and soups. Chop in one direcction to make small pieces. Rotate to other side and repeat for all the kale leaves. Discard the large stems. Then you should place the kale in a large bowl, sprinkle it with salt, and massage with your fingers. It does make a big difference in taste. If you are someone who really hates kale, I suggest you look for baby kale. I’m using a shallot instead of onion. I always loved onion and then a few years ago I started getting indigestion. My sister and I found that we could substitute shallots for onion and still enjoy our food. Options include adding cooked rice or pasta to the pot. If the basic recipe is used with vegetable broth, the soup is vegan and grain-free.
Lentil Soup with Greens
Use organic when available. Serves 6
Lentil Soup With Greens
Ingredients
- 1 cup brown lentils, rinsed
- 2 carrots chopped
- 2 celery stalks chopped
- 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 2 shallots, diced (approx. 1 cup)
- 1 bunch chopped leafy greens such as kale, spinach, or chard
- 1 small tomato diced
- 8 cups broth (vegetable or chicken)
- 1 cup water from sautéed greens pan
- 4 tbsp lemon juice (juice of one lemon)
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Heat olive oil over medium heat
- Add greens, garlic, shallot, tomato and carrots
- Sprinkle salt on veggies and cook 3 to 4 minutes
- Add veggies to soup pot with broth and lentils
- Pour 1 cup water in greens pan and stir
- Add water to soup pot
- Bring to a boil
- Lower heat to medium and cook 30 minutes or until lentils are tender
- Lower heat to low
- Add lemon juice and stir
- Serve and enjoy!
The soup is tasty with crusty bread, crisp crackers or even cornbread.
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Thank you for this recipe, Carol. I will definitely be trying it, as it sounds really delicious!
Hope you love it – let me know what you think!
Lentil soup sounds great. We usually saute our greens with a little oil and garlic. Have a great day!
Oh yes I love greens sauteed with olive oil and garlic. Thanks for coming by.
I’ve just got into soup after a visit to the UK, where it’s a family tradition to go out for a bowl of soup whilst I’m staying. This recipe looks delicious and healthy!
Wren x
Thanks for coming by!
I love it. I try to translate it to Dutch. I love all kind of soups.
Hope you enjoy it!
I LOVE lentil soup! It seems like a food that starts with the word “Lent” is just MADE for the season! ; )
I agree – I’m thinking that the bean was named for the season. Must have been popular for meatless meals for centuries.
I love lentil soup, adding the spinach is a great idea!
Thanks!
Very nutritious and perfect for the season. Thank you for sharing with us this week at Celebrate Your Story, and I hope you’re having a great weekend.
I love lentils and my four picky girls all eat it too! I think lentil soup was one of my twinnies first “solid” foods!
I understand – lentil soup is my favorite.
Sounds yummy and healthy! Thanks for sharing with SYC.
hugs,
Jann
Oh this looks delicious and very healthy. A gorgeous cleansing soup 🙂 Thanks for linking up to #dreamteam x
Thanks for the visit.
I adore lentils and lentil soup, but I have to admit that I’ve never made my own at home! This looks and sounds so hearty and comforting. Yum!
You can customize to fit your taste – my soup varies also by what I have in the kitchen.
YUM! Sounds tasty! Thanks so much for linking up at #AThemedLinkup 8 for Soup Recipes. Pinned.
…looks good to me.
Thanks for another good recipe. I love lentil soup. I cook with kale a lot but did not know that it needed salting first.
We make lentil soup a lot but I have never thought of adding greens. I’ll try it with spinach next time 🙂
That looks good, Carol. I haven’t had lentils in a long time!
This is such a fantastic heartwarming soup. I am especially love all of the flavor enhancing upgrades you’ve made to the soup… YUM!
I love to use lentils– it’s so amazing how quickly they cook esp compared to any other dry legume! But I’ve never really understood how to use Kale so I appreciate your tutorial on that!…. Carol, I have a question from your citrus slaw and dressing recipe from a while back. I know you shop at Publix where you live, but have you found broccoli slaw there? I have three Publix that I shop at regularly , depending which way I feel like driving, and I haven’t found broccoli slaw at any of them. (I made the recipe with plain old cabbage slaw and it was delicious, thank you very much again!.) Broccoli slaw is available everywhere in Oregon, so if I don’t find it here, when we go home I will make the recipe with it.
Yes my local Publix has broccoli slaw. There are several stores close to me but the one I visit has several brands. Many of the store probably have the brand Eat Smart broccoli slaw. Ask your store about it. I don’t know about you but my hands can’t talk all the work getting all the veggies ready for the slaw. The broccoli portion is the stalk. It is peeled and cut into spirals. If you can’t get it, cole slaw mix is a good base too. Let me know if I can help you.
Thanks for sharing at #aclwcc. This looks yummy. Pinned & Tweeted.
thanks for sharing!