60 With A Chance of Snow [Kale & Lentil Soup]

Kale & Lentil Soup has long been one of my favorite recipes. I've been making it for the past five years, and secretly love when it starts to get chilly enough to whip up a batch. While I admit it's fairly late in the season to be sharing such a winter-worthy recipe, I hope you still find time to enjoy a piping hot bowl of this comforting, satisfying classic. And well, if you live in the northeast where we'll apparently getting five inches of snow today, this may be just thing to cozy up with this weekend.

I first found a similar recipe on the back on a Bob's Red Mill Petite French Green Lentils package, and I've adapted it slightly over time. The thing I love most about this recipe is how forgiving it is, and how it's pretty impossible to mess up.

Use the recipe below as a guide, but don't be afraid to adjust as needed. No celery? No sweat! Only have one box of broth? Use water. You get the picture.

You'll need...

2 tbs olive oil

2 cloves of garlic, minced (more if you love garlic)

1 small onion, chopped

1-2 carrots (depending on size), chopped

2 ribs of celery, chopped

8 cups of vegetable broth (I prefer low sodium. Also, vegetable bouillon cubes are great and really inexpensive compared to store-bought broth. You can also use 6 cups for a thicker soup. Or start with 6 cups and if you freeze and then defrost it, add a cup of water when reheating. As you can see, it's really the most forgiving soup you'll ever cook.)

1 14.5 ounce can of pureed tomatoes

2 cups of petite French green lentils, rinsed (There are few few times when I think using certain brands make a difference. I strongly recommend Bob’s Red Mill. I'll use Goya if it's all I have, but I really love the French Green Lentils from Bob's. Only use 1 1/2 cups of regular lentils, though, as they're a bit bigger.)

2 dried bay leaves

1 tablespoon of dried oregano (or more if you like seasoning)

1 tablespoon of dried basil (same as above)

1 tablespoon tbs freshly ground pepper (see above)

3 heaping cups of torn kale (It usually comes in large bunches. It's hard to quantify--just add as much as you'd like. Roughly chop it—it will cook down. Use more for a more stew-like soup, or less for a more "soupy" soup.)

Salt & pepper, to taste

To make...

Heat olive oil in large pot on medium heat. Add garlic and onion. Sauté for 2 minutes. Add carrots and celery. Cook for about 8-10 minutes until veggies are somewhat tender, but don’t let them brown. Add tomatoes, bay leaves, lentils, vegetable broth (or water), oregano and basil. Literally just chuck it all in! Give it a good stir in the pot and bring it to a boil for a few minutes. Lower flame and let it cook on low for about 30 mins. WARNING: it will smell really delicious. While it’s cooking, rinse the kale and remove the bottom portion of the stem. Do a rough chop of the leaves—you want smaller, bite-sized pieces. After the soup's been cooking for a while (about 30-35 mins—the lentils should be soft but don't let them turn mushy by over-cooking), add the kale and let it cook for another 10 minutes. Kale will soften. If you like a thinner soup, and you only used 6 cups, add some water, a half cup at a time. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Makes about 6 meal-sized servings. The hardest, most time-consuming part is chopping the veggies. It’s super healthy and really flavorful. Freezes well and also great the next day (if not better). Add lots of grated or shredded parm before serving. This soup is one of my winter staples. Hope you enjoy it!

#lentils #soup #vegetarian #vegan #winter #easy #makeahead