Leafy Green Lentil Soup
By the Gracious Vegan
This is the ultimate healthy soup. The lentils add critical substance, while the cumin, coriander, mint, cilantro, and jalapeño contribute incredible flavor. You may be surprised how addictive this soup is. It’s an intense green color as well.
See Instant Pot instructions at bottom.
Makes 9 servings (about 130 calories per serving)
Put the following ingredients in a large (at least 6-quart) Dutch oven. Bring to a boil, then turn down the heat and simmer, covered, for about 25 minutes, until the lentils are tender.
8 cups vegetable broth
2 large onions, chopped
1 cup brown, green, or black (Beluga) lentils *
1 medium potato (russet, red skin, Yukon gold), scrubbed (peeled if desired) and cut into 1/2-inch dice
Sliced stems/ribs from 8 large green or red chard leaves
2 teaspoons ground coriander
1 teaspoon cumin
Then stir the following ingredients into the pot. Cover and cook 5 minutes more.
4 scallions, sliced
2 cups chopped broccoli (1 medium or large crown)
Chopped leaves from the 8 large green or red chard leaves
Finally, stir in the following ingredients. Return to a simmer, cover and cook until the spinach is tender but still bright green, about 5 minutes more.
10 ounces leaf spinach, any tough stems trimmed, chopped (or whole baby spinach)
1 cup chopped fresh cilantro (leaves and stems)
2 Tablespoons chopped fresh mint (or 2 teaspoons dried mint)
1/2 jalapeño pepper, minced (make it a whole one if you like spicy-hot)
1 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground pepper to taste
Stir in lemon juice. Use a stick (immersion) blender to make a smooth soup.
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
Taste and add more lemon juice, salt, and/or pepper.
Optional garnishes:
Vegan Crema and/or cumin seeds roasted in a dry skillet
* For a variation, you can use green French lentils (Lentilles du Puy) and keep the soup chunky and unblended. They have thicker skins and need about 15 more minutes cooking time.
Instant Pot directions:
Reduce vegetable broth to 7 cups.
Use the Manual (“Pressure Cook,” “High”) setting for the first ingredients (broth through cumin) for 10 minutes.
When the 10 minutes are up, release the steam and add the scallions, broccoli and chard leaves — re-close the lid and set the Instant Pot to Manual again for 1 minute.
When it is done, release the steam and add all remaining ingredients and stir.
Use the blender to create a smooth soup.
Timing: Hands-on time 40 minutes, total time 60 minutes; less time with Instant Pot (around 35 minutes)
Nutritional information per serving: 128 calories, 0g fat, 0g sat. fat, 22g carbs, 799mg sodium, 6mg fiber, 9g protein
Gluten-free