FFor years, this was a canned staple in our house, my youngest’s favorite, straight off the grocery shelf. There’s something about that particular canned lentil soup that just hits the spot for kids, thick, mild, and comforting in a way that’s hard to argue with. So I figured it was finally time to pimp it up and make it from scratch instead of relying on a can.
It’s not a perfect replica, but it’s close enough to earn a thumbs-up from the kid, which is really all that matters. Even my oldest, who normally turns his nose up at lentils, has gone back for seconds a few times, and I’m counting that as a win.
(Experiment 251) Chunky lentil soup
Ingredients
- 6 cup vegetable broth
- 240 g brown lentils
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 2 carrots diced
- 2 stalks celery sliced thick
- baby spinach
- 1 potato peeled and diced
- green beans
- olive oil
- salt & pepper
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 1 tbsp white wine vinegar or rice vinegar
- 1/2 tsp cumin
- 1 onion diced
- 1 bay leave
- 1 tsp oregano
- dash lemon juice
Instructions
- The first step is to rinse your lentils until the water is clear. Reserve.
- In a large pot, heat over medium heat and add the oil. Saute the onion, carrots, potatoes and celery for 5 minutes. Add the garlic, mix and cook for another minute. Add the cumin, oregano, vinegar, lentils and tomato paste. Stir and cook for a few minutes then add the broth. Bring to a boil and simmer for 15 minutes.
- At this stage add the green beans, spinach and bay leave and continue simmer for another 15 minutes or until lentils are cooked. Squirt some fresh lemon juice and stir before serving.
Notes
this soup freezes well