Mediterranean Lentil Soup

INGREDIENTS

• ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1 medium yellow onion, small diced
• 2 medium carrots, small diced
• 2 celery ribs, small diced
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 3 to 4 cloves of garlic, minced
• 2 teaspoons cumin
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 1 (28-ounce) can fire-roasted diced tomatoes
• 6 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
• 1 cup green or brown lentils
• 3 leaves kale, stemmed and sliced
• 1 lemon, juiced (about 3 tablespoons juice)

DIRECTIONS

1. Saute the vegetables. Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion, celery, and carrots and stir for 4 to 5 minutes, until the onion becomes translucent.
2. Infuse with flavor. Add the tomato paste, minced garlic, dried spices, salt and pepper. Stir and toast the spices for 1 to 2 minutes.
3. Simmer. Add the diced tomatoes, broth, and lentils and stir together. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low, partially cover with a lid, and simmer for 25 to 30 minutes.
4. Blend. You can keep the soup chunky, or use an immersion blender to create a more creamy texture, by spot blending for just a few seconds.
5. Finish with flavor. Stir in the kale and lemon juice, and simmer for an additional minute or two to soften the kale. Taste the soup, and add any additional lemon juice, salt, or pepper before serving.

TIPS

• Because vegetable broth usually comes in 32 ounce containers (4 cups), I add 4 cups of broth and 2 cups of water to this recipe. Just so I don’t have a half used container of broth.  If you use a lot of broth normally; go ahead and use the full 6 cups.
• You can substitute 3 teaspoons of Italian seasoning for the oregano, basil, and thyme.
• As the soup sits, the lentils may soak up some of the liquid, thickening up the soup. You can always add more broth or water to thin it out.