Lentil and Spinach Soup

 I had a coupon for a free bag of frozen spinach and googled "Lentil and Spinach Soup", so I would have a pot of something to work through while recovering from oral surgery, which thankfully was less invasive than I feared.  This was the result.  I was glad to find a non-tomato soup recipe using brown lentils.  I like harira, but that's already a post.

A whole sub-section of the search pulled up Lebanese recipes.  I'm refraining from using the original Lebanese name for this soup because the recipe I'm following from Mediterrasian changed it a lot, but I'm still calling it Non-American in origin.

For those looking for something warm on a cold winter day, or those trying to eat healthier in the new year, or those just in the mood for a tasty soup, I offer up this recipe as a complete meal in a bowl.

And I'm apologizing in advance for the blurry photos.  This time of year, there is no way to get a good photo in my kitchen, any time of day.  Blurry in the evening, weird glares and shadows during the day.  If I monetized, I would invest in backgrounds and lighting.  For a hobby/personal recipe box, not so much.

*1 medium onion, small dice
2 Tb olive oil
*2 cloves garlic, finely minced
1 tsp cumin
*1 Tb fresh mint, finely chopped
1 potato, small dice
1 qt unsalted chicken or vegetable stock
2 C frozen chopped spinach or 4 C fresh
3/4 C dry brown lentils or 1 14oz can
salt and pepper to taste
*juice of 1 lemon
plain Greek yogurt for garnish

1.  If working from dry, sort and rinse lentils.  Set simmering in 3 C water while you make the rest of the soup.

2.  Heat oil in a soup pot over medium and sauté onion until soft, about 5 minutes.  Add garlic, cumin, mint, and potato.  Cook until fragrant, about 2 minutes.  Add stock and spinach.  Bring to a low boil, lower heat to a simmer, and cover.  Cook until potato is softened, about 15 minutes.

3.  Drain the lentils, which should be mostly cooked by now, and add to the pot.  In batches, purée about half of the soup in the blender or food processor.  This will give the soup some creamy body, but still leave plenty of texture and bits.  Return purée to the pot and return to the heat.

4.  Add lemon juice, then taste and add salt and pepper as necessary.  This will depend entirely on the stock you used.  I actually didn't add any, despite potatoes and lentils usually needing a lot.  Oh wait, I did add the last of the sauerkraut from the corned beef sandwiches.  All that extra tang probably took the place of salt.

5.  Ladle soup into bowls and garnish with a dollop of yogurt.  Serve hot.

Serves 4-6

Difficulty rating  :)