Lentil Vegetable Soup

Time: 90 minutes

Serves: 20 cups

Ingredients:

• 1 pound French green lentils (3-4 cups)
• 3 medium yellow onions, chopped (3-5 cups)
• 2 leeks (white part only), chopped (2-4 cups)
• 3-4 cloves garlic, minced (1 tablespoon)
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 teaspoon salt (+ add additional at the end to your desired taste)
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1 ½ teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
• ½ – 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional – adds a bit of a kick)
• 2 carrots, chopped (1 – 1.5 cups)
• 4-5 stalks celery with leaves chopped (3-4 cups)
• 3 quart chicken broth
• 2, 28oz cans fire-roasted tomatoes, diced
• 1 bunch collard greens with tough ribs removed (or Kale), chopped (3-5 cups)
• Juice of one Meyer lemon

Preparation:

• Rinse and drain lentils.
• In large soup pot, heat olive oil. Sauté leeks and garlic for 2 minutes. Add onions, salt, pepper, cumin, thyme, and optional red pepper flakes. Saute for another 5-8 minutes until soft and translucent.
• Add the celery and carrots and sauté for another 10 minutes.
• Add chicken broth, tomatoes with their juices, and lentils.
• Cover and bring to boil. Then uncover and simmer for 1 hour, until lentils are cooked (French green lentils will still hold their shape and firm texture even when cooked through).
• Add greens and simmer for another 5 minutes or so until they have softened.
• Add the juice of one lemon and mix well.
• Taste and add salt if necessary. If you are using a broth that already has the appropriate seasoning, you may need very little salt. But if you are using low to no sodium chicken broth you’ll likely want to add more salt.

Notes: This is a large batch, but it freezes well. The recipe is modified from one published by Ina Garten in the Barefoot Contessa Cookbook 1999.