Green Lentil and Kale Soup

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I’ll admit that the thought of Kale and Lentils has never been appealing to me – either together or by themselves. But when Heidi of 101 Cookbooks shared this recipe I couldn’t help but think it sounded delicious. The trick would be getting Matt to eat it.

I tried being all nonchalant-like, very matter-of-fact. “We’re having Lentils and Kale for dinner.” While in the back of my mind I was really hoping that it would turn out okay. While still pregnant with Rowan, my midwife would tell me to eat up on things like Kale and Swiss Chard because they were so high in bio-available iron which would obviously help keep my blood iron levels up. I have to admit that I didn’t try either one. I had visions of munching on a piece of bitter lettuce and my stomach rolled. That’s all it takes for a pregnant lady.

But my mother and I were pleasantly surprised at how much we liked it. Matt was indifferent but he’ll have to live with it. I was planning on putting an over-medium egg on top, but forgot. Matt would have liked it that way.

Lentil Soup, from 101 Cookbooks

Ingredients

• 2 cups black beluga lentils (or green French lentils), picked over and rinsed
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1 teaspoon fine-grain sea salt
• 1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes
• 2 cup water
• 3 cups of a big leafy green (chard, kale, etc), rinsed well, deveined, finely chopped

Saffron Yogurt

• a pinch of saffron (30-40 threads)
• 1 tablespoon boiling water
• two pinches of salt
• 1/2 cup 2% Greek Yogurt

Directions

1. Bring 6 cups of water to a boil in a large saucepan, add the lentil, and cook for 20 minutes, or until tender. Drain and set aside.
2. While the lentils are cooking, make the saffron yogurt by combining the saffron threads and boiling water in a tiny cup. Let the saffron steep for a few minutes. Now stir the saffron along with the liquid into the yogurt. Mix in the salt and set aside.
3. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a heavy soup pot over medium heat, then add the onion and salt and saute until tender, a couple minutes. Stir in the tomatoes, lentils, and water and continue cooking for a few more minutes, letting the soup come back up to a simmer. Stir in the chopped greens, and wait another minute. Taste and adjust the seasoning if need be. Ladle into bowls, and serve with a dollop of the saffron yogurt.

Serves 6 to 8.

Variations:

- You can serve it with a poached egg on top,
- or crunchy, fried shallots,
- with a drizzle of chive infused cream,
- or with chunks of tiny pan-fried butternut squash cubes.

- Make a thicker version by using just a bit of water, and then spoon it over an omelette in the morning.

- Have some cooked farro or wheat berries around? Toss some in. Millet might be good too.

- You can finish the soup by adding your favorite spices or spice blends. Smoked paprika, crushed chiles, toasted cumin, would all work nicely.

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• Meatball Soup
• Stuffed Bell Peppers
• Chicken and Dumplings
• Irish Stew and Oat Bread
• Pork and Hominy Stew