Lentil Swiss Chard Soup

Lentil soup!

Lentil soup!

Ever since the holidays, I have found myself flipping through the Plenty and Jerusalem cookbooks and ooohhing and aaaahhhing over the beautiful, healthy recipes. Randomly, over the weekend, a friend made the most hearty, comforting, delicious soup from the same (brilliant) chef, Yotam Ottolenghi. I had to make a batch for myself. The soup is vegan, wholesome, rich, savory, and very Moroccan-esque. Definitely worth the effort in the kitchen.

Ingredients:

Ingredients

* 2 cups split red lentils (a typical bag of lentils)

* 10 cups of cold water

* 2 medium red onions

* 2 tbsp olive oil

* a bunch of Swiss chard (I used rainbow chard — mixture of red and green)

* a bunch of cilantro leaves

* 2 tsp ground cumin

* 1 tsp  cinnamon

* 1 tbsp coriander seeds

* 3 garlic cloves, crushed

* 3 tablespoons of  unsalted butter

* salt and pepper, to taste

 

Directions:

* Place the rinsed lentils in a large pot with water, bringing it to boil and then simmer for 35 minutes or until soft. Skim off any scum that rises to the surface during cooking. (looks like foam from an ocean — but you don’t want that).

Boiling lentils.

Boiling lentils.

* Slice the red onions (peeled obvi). With the olive oil in a pan, saute the onions until they are soft and somewhat translucent.

Chop. Slice.

Chop. Slice.

Sautee with spices. Smells delicious!

Sautee with spices. Smells delicious!

* Meanwhile, remove and discard the large stems from the Swiss chard. Wash and rinse the leaves thoroughly, then chop them roughly. Do the same with the cilantro.

Greens!

Greens!

* Mix the cooked onions, chard leaves and chopped coriander into the lentil soup and season with the cumin, cinnamon and some salt and pepper to taste.

Lentil soup!

Lentil soup!

* In a pestle and mortar, crush the coriander seeds and garlic together. Melt the butter gently in a small saucepan over a medium heat, add the garlic and coriander seeds and fry for 2 minutes.

Mortar!

Mortar!

Melted butter with garlic and corriander seeds, and then you put in soup! Gives it some substance.

Melted butter with garlic and corriander seeds, and then you put in soup! Gives it some substance.

* Then, stir this into the soup, remove the pot from the stove and cover with a lid.

All the ingredients together!

All the ingredients together! PRE-BLENDED!

* Finally, blend in vitamix until smooth. Then serve. Voila!

Green monster.

Green monster.

So delicious and packed with lots of greens! Hooray! Enjoy! Hope you have a great weekend! I am off to run 17 miles — wish me luck.

Anika Yael Natori, aka, The Josie Girl

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Josie Girl

6 Comments

  1. any tips for a cilantro substitution? i am one of those people who hates cilantro. i am so trying this soup though! the white bean kale recipe you posted was so delicious.

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