1½cupsbrown or large green lentilsrinsed and picked over
2medium size sweet potato cut in 1/2-inch dice
3Yukon gold potatoescut in 1/2-inch dice
10ozbaby spinachchopped
1red chili pepperstemmed, seeded and chopped
1onionchopped
3garlic cloves finely chopped
2celery ribssliced
10cupsbrothvegetable or chicken
1½teaspoonscumin
1teaspoonsweet red pepper flakes
1tablespoondried oregano
2-3fresh oregano sprigs
2-3fresh thyme sprigs
2bay leaves
⅓cupextra virgin olive oil
3lemonstotal, or juicing and slicing
fresh ground pepper
sea salt
Instructions
In a large stockpot over medium-high heat, heat the olive oil until shimmering. Add the onion, season with a pinch of salt, and cook, stirring, until it starts to soften, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the celery and garlic and cook, often stirring, until they soften, 3 minutes.
Add the red chili, cumin, oregano, sweet red pepper flakes, and bay leaves. Stir and cook for 3 minutes.
Add the lentils and stock, the leaves from a couple of oregano sprigs and thyme sprigs, bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low. Simmer, partially covered, for about 30 minutes until the lentils are tender.
Add the spinach and potatoes, re-cover and cook another 15 to 20 minutes until the potatoes are tender.
Add sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste. Discard the bay leaves.
Thinly slice one of the lemons and cut the other into wedges. Just before serving, stir the lemon juice of one lemon into the soup. Serve the soup hot with a lemon slice and have extra lemon wedges at the table.
Notes
The soup can be refrigerated for up to 2 weeks or frozen for up to 3 months.
You can stir into the soup the baby spinach as is or chopped.
Substitute fresh baby spinach with frozen. Thaw it out and pat dry with a kitchen towel to remove most moisture.
Another green you can add to the soup is kale instead of baby spinach. Use the same amount of kale as you would spinach, similar cut, but add it to the soup with the lentils and broth at the beginning of the cooking time, rather than the last bit of the cooking, as you would with spinach.
Butternut squash is a great substitute for sweet potatoes.
Fresh herbs like oregano, thyme, or sage leaves are optional; you can swap them with dried versions or omit them from the recipe.
Serving suggestionsThis lentil and spinach soup is vegan. It goes well next to warm crusty bread, olives and a Greek fava dip. However, you can fry some chopped bacon or pancetta and sprinkle it on top as well as some shaved parmesan. We grill a few sausages cut them up, and add them to the soup for a heartier version. Garlic croutons or grilled pita bread and sprinkle some feta go well on top. You can be creative and play around with the toppings of your liking. Nutritional Info – Please remember the nutritional information provided is only an estimate and can vary based on the products used.