Lentil and Spinach Soup
The chill of fall has begun to influence my menu planning. Of course, warm soup seems perfect. One of our family favorites is the Turkish Lentil and Spinach soup from Sunday’s at Moosewood, 1990. Below, is my adaptation of the recipe.
Typically, due to contents of my cupboard, I didn’t even follow my own recipe! Two days earlier, I had cooked up a mixed bean assortment and used that instead of the lentils, and replaced the fresh tomatoes with canned. When I mixed together the beans, onions, tomatoes, etc, I included a box of chopped spinach instead of adding the fresh spinach at the end. The result was hearty and satisfying. Give it a try!
Don't you feel warmer with a pot of soup on the stove?
Ingredients
1 cup red lentils
4 1/2 cups vegetable stock
1 bay leaf
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 onion, chopped
2-3 cloves garlic, minced or crushed
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
1/4 teaspoon dried rosemary
2 large tomatoes, chopped
1 bunch fresh spinach, trimmed and coarsely chopped
1 teaspoon sea salt, or to taste
fresh ground black pepper
Instructions
- Rinse the lentils. Bring them to a boil in the stock or water, adding the bay leaf. Reduce the heat and simmer, covered, for 40 minutes.
- Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a heavy soup pot. Sauté the onions until translucent, then mix in the tomatoes.
- When the tomatoes begin to give up their juice, pour the lentils and their liquid into the soup pot with the onions.
- Add the garlic and cayenne.
- Add the rosemary, salt, and pepper to taste.
- Just before serving, stir in the fresh spinach and let it wilt in the hot soup.
Enjoy!
