Quick and Easy Healthy Lentil Soup

Lentil soup is one of my favorite soups ever! It is a staple that is good for lunch or dinner. It tastes even better leftover! 

Lentil soup is a clean meal that is so simple to recreate. It is full of vitamins and best of all, cheap to make! The lentils are an excellent source of fiber and plant protein. Toasting the garlic and adding cumin really gives this soup a kick. If you don't like cumin you can omit or substitute with another spice. The beauty of this soup is that you can tweak to your liking!

I cook my soups in a cast iron Dutch oven. I love cast iron cooking and love cooking in my skillet too. 

What you need:

• 4 cloves garlic
• 1 sweet or yellow onion, diced or chopped
• 4 carrots, diced or chopped 
• 4 stalks celery, diced or chopped 
• 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil (or coconut oil)
• 2 cups lentils (you can use green, split red, or a mix of both!)
• 1 tablespoon cumin
• 2 qt broth (look for sodium free, and water can definitely be substituted just be sure to season accordingly.)
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 whole sprigs fresh thyme
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 2 cups frozen chopped kale

Serves: 6-8, about 200 calories each

Set a large, dry dutch oven over medium heat and drop in the garlic cloves with their peels still on. Let them toast for a few minutes on each side, until the skins are browned and fragrant, and set aside. 

Add the oil to the dutch oven and sauté the carrots, onion, and celery  until browned and tender, about 15-20 minutes.

Peel and smash up the garlic cloves and add to the pot with the lentils and cumin. Cook for a few seconds, until the lentils are nicely coated in oil. Add the broth and/or water into the pot. Tie the bay leaf and whole sprigs of thyme with kitchen string and add to the pit. Simmer until the lentils are tender, about 30-45 minutes. Cook the lentils to your taste and fish out the bay leaf and thyme bundle.

Season with salt and pepper and serve. This soup is delicious on it's own, but I love adding greens. Right before serving, stir in the frozen kale (or other frozen greens of your choice like spinach or Swiss chard) and cook for a minute until hot. Serve it with a big side of toasted hearty whole grain bread or homemade cheesy baguette croutons.