Middle Eastern Lentil Soup

To celebrate American Heart Month, here’s a delicious Ceres recipe for a very heart healthy dish: Middle Eastern Lentil Soup! It has a wonderful mix of spices and fiber rich plant-based protein from the lentils!

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons of olive oil

• 1 3/4 cups of chopped yellow onions

• 1 tablespoon of peeled and minced garlic cloves

• 1 cup of chopped celery

• 1 cup of peeled and chopped carrots

• 1 tablespoon of curry powder

• 1 tablespoon of peeled and grated ginger

• 1 teaspoon of ground cumin

• 1 whole dried bay leaf

• 1 pinch of red pepper (Chili) flakes

• 10 cups of vegetable broth

• 1 3/4 cups of dry lentils

• 2 cups of chopped spinach (or use kale, beet or kohlrabi greens if preferred)

• 1/2 cup of chopped cilantro

Ceres Tip:

Have all ingredients measured, chopped and ready to go beforehand to make creating this recipe quick and easy.

Directions:

1. Heat a heavy bottomed large soup pot over medium high heat for 30 seconds. Add the olive oi, and immediately add the onions and garlic. Stir for a few minutes and then add the celery and carrots.

2. Stir, cooking for about 6-8 minutes until the veggies are just starting to brown.

3. Stir in the curry powder, ginger, cumin, bay leaf, and dried crushed red pepper.

4. Cook, stirring for 30 seconds or so until spices are fragrant.

5. Add the vegetable broth and dried lentils.

6. Bring the soup to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer, COVERED, until lentils are tender. About 20 minutes.

7. Stir in the spinach (or greens of choice) and simmer until the greens are wilted, about 2 minutes.

8. Add salt, pepper, and cilantro and stir well.