Lentil Soup with Mustard Greens

If you’ve seen my recent posts, you know that the amount of treats coming out of my kitchen over the past few weeks is completely unnecessary.  I can’t say I haven’t enjoyed it, but  I have to make up for that unhealthy eating.  There’s no better way than with this great lentil soup, loaded with some of my favorite vegetables and mustard greens for a nutritional boost.  It turned out great, mild in flavor, with just the right ratio of broth to vegetable.  That said, I like a broth-y soup, but you could always reduce the liquid if you wanted it to be heartier.

Lentil Soup with Mustard Greens:

Yield: 8-10 servings / Prep Time: 10 minutes / Cook Time: 45-60 minutes

• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 clove garlic, finely chopped
• 1 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 1 1/2 cup chopped carrots
• 1 cup chopped celery
• 1 can diced tomatoes
• 1/2 tsp oregano
• 1/2 tsp cumin
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp pepper
• 1 3/4 cup dried lentils, rinsed
• 9 cups water or stock
• 4 cups mustard greens, stemmed and torn

1. Heat olive oil in your soup pot over medium-high heat.  Add onion and garlic and cook until onions are translucent (~5 minuties).
2. Add water and the remaining ingredients to the pot.
3. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce heat to low.
4. Simmer for 30-35 minutes, until lentils are tender.

Notes:  You can use stock/broth instead of water, I wanted a milder taste, so I stuck with water.  You can also reduce the water down to 7 cups if you like a heartier soup versus a brothy soup.  This recipe makes a lot of soup, but it freezes well, and can be kept up to two months in the freezer.  You can freeze it in an airtight tupperware, plastic bags, or mason jars.  Make sure that if you use a jar, you let it first cool in the fridge (if you cool glass too rapidly, it can break).