Lentil Soup
This week’s haul from the CSA: carrots, Swiss chard, butternut squash. Here’s what we did with the carrots and Swiss chard. Stay tuned for the butternut squash.
Even though it topped an unseasonable 70 degrees Friday, the veggies from the CSA this week are saying soup. Carrots and Swiss chard are two of the main ingredients in my lentil soup.
What you’re gonna need
- One to one and half pounds of carrots, chopped
- 2 medium onions, chopped
- 1 large can of diced or crushed tomatoes (Or better yet, a quart you canned last summer. Just saying…)
- 1 pound of lentils
- A couple tablespoons of cumin or so to taste (Curry powder works nicely here too.)
- 8 cups vegetable stock (chicken stock will work as well)
- 1 bunch of chopped Swiss chard (don’t discard the stems), or spinach
- Olive oil to coat the pan, a tablespoon or two
What you’re gonna do
- Sauté your chopped onions, carrots and the chopped stems from the chard with a couple pinches of salt in olive oil until the onions are soft.
- Add cumin and continue sautéing. When you start to smell the cumin, add the lentils, broth and tomatoes. (Add more or less liquid depending on how thick you want your soup to be.)
- Cook for an hour or two until the lentils and carrots are soft.
- Add the Swiss chard in the last 15-20 minutes.
- Serve with a warm roll or slice of bread for dipping. Delicious!
This soup freezes nicely. If you end up with more than you and your family can handle at this week, bag it up and put it in the freezer. It will taste great on that first cold rainy day in late September or early October.