Fill your pot (and stomach) with this hearty lentil soup, made creamier with a little tahini. However cold and dreary the days get, a bowl or two will warm you up in no time.
Mother Nature and the calendar appear to be in a bit of a spat lately. We’re already well into fall, but it doesn’t feel like it. Checking the weather in the morning, the forecast is a literal rollercoaster, jumping from lows of 40 to highs of 75, sometimes in the same day. Getting dressed is a fairly complicated ordeal now.
For example, Monday was gorgeous, and could have been a perfect day for that transition period between spring and summer. Except it was a week into November. Then again, yesterday was freezing and raining, which is just never a good combination.
And that, my friends, is what we call a great segue into this lentil soup.
Excuse the interruptions, BUT. Did you know that the word for an uninterrupted transition is spelled ‘segue’? I could have sworn it was ‘segway’. Also, please take note of the use of lentils. This makes recipe number three! I’m clearly quite proud of this accomplishment.
Anyway, back to the green stuff simmering in the pot.
My favorite kind of soups are either chunky or pureed, like this one. Broth honestly just kind of weirds me out. I mean, it’s flavored water, which is essentially the same thing as tea. Except tea doesn’t have the occasional vegetable floating around in it, and you don’t drink tea with a spoon from a bowl. Actually, would you even tell someone to drink their soup, or is it eat?
Just a little food for thought that you can ponder.
Lentil soup is the perfect compromise, though. You still get some liquid without giving up on the substance, and you don’t have to pull out the immersion blender to make it thick. Finally, a meal that leaves everyone happy. Not to mention feeling all warm and cozy inside. Do you also tuck yourself into a corner of the couch and curl around a bowl of hot soup? Hmm, maybe that’s just me…
Say the magic word and I’ll make room for you, too! It’s BYOB, though, I still need to wash my bowls.
We’re focusing on proving Kermit the Frog wrong tonight. It really is easy being green! Especially when we fill a pot with all the good green things and then forget about it for a while, until suddenly our noses perk up and lead us back into the kitchen.
I think I just miss walking beneath a green canopy of leaves. But frankly, you won’t hear any complaints from me (for now) since it manifested in a lentil soup that will hearten even the most anti-winter person you can think of. Trust me, I’m feeling better already.
Before you say anything, I know. The soup doesn’t look particularly green. There’s good reason for that, which I call tahini. Also known as what gives that creamy factor and extra oomph in each spoonful. It also provides the healthy fats that, combined with the high fiber content of lentils, are going to keep you satisfied all the way until your next meal.
Which, if it’s another bowl of lentil soup, I solemnly give you my word not to judge you for. Let’s be honest, I’ll be right there doing it with you.
If you try this recipe, I’d love your feedback. Leave a comment below, save it on Pinterest, or tag #lensesandlentils on Instagram to share!
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 small onion, chopped
- 5 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 medium zucchini, halved and sliced
- 1½ cups green lentils, rinsed
- 4 cups water
- juice of 1 small lemon
- ¼ cup tahini
- 1 tsp EACH oregano and thyme
- ½ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp black pepper
- 2 cups baby spinach
- Heat oil in a medium pot. Sauté the onion and garlic for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Add all remaining ingredients except the spinach, mixing well to distribute and break up any clumps of tahini. Bring to boil, then cover and cook on low for 30 minutes.
- Toss in the spinach. Cook for another 10 minutes, until lentils are soft.
- Serve hot. Let cool before store in a container in the fridge for 1 week.
Leave a Reply