Lentil, Potato and Kale Soup
Or, the recipe that I turn to more than any other.
Hello readers! How’s your week coming along? I’ve been on deadline for a client, plus tending to all of the typical holiday madness and I’m very ready for the weekend/a long nap (it’s the good kind of exhaustion though, thank goodness).
When I was mulling over what to write about here today, I kept coming back to the idea of a recipe that can serve as a sort of December “cure-all” - something to make when you’re not feeling well, or when you’re been out all weekend and want a simple, homemade meal without much fuss on Sunday night, or when you don’t have time to make it to the grocery store, and need to cook something from what you already have on hand.
It finally occurred to me that my favorite lentil soup is the answer to all of those (and countless more) scenarios, and I’m sort of astonished to say that the meal that I make more than possibly any other has never found its way into written recipe form. I think it’s because cooking this soup is basically muscle memory for me, almost automatic - I’ve made it literally hundreds of times, and it’s never occurred to me (until now) to measure anything out or write it down.
This recipe is the first thing I cooked for myself after getting my cancer diagnosis, after bringing my babies home from the hospital, after fun filled, life affirming weekends, on busy weeknights when I just needed to get dinner on the table, and on hard, sad days when I didn’t know what else to do. It’s been with me in every season, literally and figuratively, and every time I start a pot of this soup, it feels grounding, safe and comforting. It’s my tribute to my mother and grandmothers, who all made soup as a pure expression of love, and now I make soup when I want to take care of someone, or when I need to take care of myself.
As far as soups go, it’s pretty humble. There’s nothing special about it, really, but it’s warm, filling, cheap, healthy and very forgiving. I just love it, especially on a cold, rainy night with some warm, crusty bread and a swirl of good olive oil on top. My recipe has evolved over time, but this is my current version and probably my favorite. Sometimes I’ll swap the potato for roasted butternut squash, or the kale for spinach. Other times, I’ll throw some chopped red bell pepper or chopped zucchini into the veggie mix, and/or play with the spices (I often use Sazon, smoked paprika or Italian seasoning here). Often, I’ll add cooked ditalini or pastina (much to the delight of my kids). Play with it, make it yours! I hope it serves you for years to come, as it has for me.
Lentil, Potato and Kale Soup
By Lauren Kretzer
Serves 4-6
Ingredients:
2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
1 large carrot, peeled and chopped
2 celery stalks, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 medium yellow potatoes, peeled and chopped into ½” dice
1 cup dried green lentils
7 cups vegetable stock
1 Tbsp tomato paste
1 dried bay leaf
2 tsp salt
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
½ tsp ground turmeric
4 cups chopped kale, tough stems removed
¼ cup roughly chopped fresh parsley
1 Tbsp red wine vinegar
Instructions:
In a large pot or Dutch oven, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add onion, carrot and celery and cook for 7 minutes, stirring often. Add garlic and yellow potatoes and cook 2 minutes more, stirring often. Add green lentils, vegetable stock, tomato paste, bay leaf, salt, black pepper and turmeric. Raise heat and bring to a boil, then immediately reduce heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 30 minutes, or until vegetables are tender and lentils are soft.
Add chopped kale and simmer for 1-2 more minutes, or until wilted and tender. Remove soup form heat and add chopped parsley and vinegar. Stir to combine and adjust seasonings, if needed. Serve hot.
Ooh thanks for sharing this! 😋
Good food is good medicine! And it's way tastier too!!