Nothing beats a good, hearty soup that has inexpensive ingredients, feeds a lot of people, and doesn’t take long to make. To prepare a vegetarian lentil soup, don’t add meat and substitute vegetable broth for the chicken broth. Original recipe for this soup was from Mad Hungry (Artisan Books) by Lucinda Scala Quinn, and then “doctored” by me.

Ingredients:

• 2 1/2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 onion, chopped (3/4 cup)
• 2 carrots, peeled and chopped (3/4 cup)
• 2 celery stalks, peeled and chopped (2/3 cup)
• 3 garlic cloves, minced (1 tablespoon)
• 1 tablespoon coarse salt
• 1 small tomato, chopped (1/3 cup)
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 2 cups brown or green lentils
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 small bay leaf
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 6 cups chicken broth or vegetable broth
• 4 cups water, plus more if needed
• 2 teaspoons red wine vinegar
• Garlic Croutons, optional
• One bunch firm curly kale, chopped up
• 2 pieces grilled chicken breast, sliced into bite-sized pieces

Directions:

Heat a large soup pot over high heat and swirl in the olive oil. Add the onion, carrots, celery, garlic, and 1 teaspoon of the salt. Reduce the heat to low and saute until the vegetables are lightly caramelized, about 5 minutes. Add the tomato and cook for 2 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste and cook for another 2 minutes.

Add the lentils, thyme, bay leaf, pepper, and the remaining 2 teaspoons salt. Add the broth and water, and bring to a boil, skimming and discarding any foam as it rises to the surface. Reduce the heat and simmer until the lentils are tender, 15 to 20 minutes. (The cooking time depends on the age of the dried lentils.) Stir in the vinegar. Season to taste with salt and pepper. If needed, thin the soup with additional water or broth for the desired consistency. Serve in a bowl topped with fresh croutons, if using.

I added the chicken and kale to the recipe, I threw in toward the last minutes, as the chicken was already cooked & the kale just needs a minute or two to soften.

A hearty favorite that you can refrigerate now and enjoy later in the week.