Name: Spinach and Lentil Soup
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 55 min
Ingredients: 1 cup dried lentils (brown ,); 5 cups vegetable stock or water; 1 tsp salt; 1/4 cup olive oil; 2 cups onions (chopped); 3 large garlic cloves (pressed); 1/4 tsp cayenne; 2 bay leaves; 1/2 cups raw bulghur; 1/4 cup fresh parsley (pref. flat-leaf (Italian) ,chopped); 2 cups tomatoes (or one 28-oz can with juice ,chopped); 1/4 cup tomato paste; 1 pinch dried rosemary; salt (to taste); black pepper (to taste); 2 cups fresh spinach (stemmed, cleaned, and coarsely chopped); fresh parsley (pref. flat-leaf (Italian) ,chopped (for garnish))

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Spinach and Lentil Soup

This is my favorite soup. Thick and hearty, with a warm spice, it acts as a complete meal. This recipe comes from the cookbook "Sundays at Moosewood Restaurant" published by Simon and Schuster. It is one of my favorite vegetarian cookbooks.******Note: I say only 5 minutes of prep time, because most of the preperations are done while the lentils are cooking.

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Prep Time 5

Cook Time 55

Servings: 4 meal servings, 6-8 side-dish

Course: Soup

Cuisine: Turkish

Keyword: Veggie

Ingredients Method

Ingredients

1 cup dried lentils brown ,
5 cups vegetable stock or water
1 tsp salt
1/4 cup olive oil
2 cups onions chopped
3 large garlic cloves pressed
1/4 tsp cayenne
2 bay leaves
1/2 cups raw bulghur
1/4 cup fresh parsley pref. flat-leaf (Italian) ,chopped
2 cups tomatoes or one 28-oz can with juice ,chopped
1/4 cup tomato paste
1 pinch dried rosemary
salt to taste
black pepper to taste
2 cups fresh spinach stemmed, cleaned, and coarsely chopped
fresh parsley pref. flat-leaf (Italian) ,chopped (for garnish)

Method

Go through lentils and remove any stones, then rinse. Bring them to a boil in the salted stock or water. Reduce heat and simmer, covered, for 40 minutes.
Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a heavy soup pot. Sauté the onions until translucent. Add the garlic, cayenne, bay leaves, and raw bulghur. Stir the mixture on medium heat until the onions and bulghur are lightly browned.
Mix in the parsley and tomatoes. When the tomatoes begin to give up their juice, gently stir in the tomato paste.
Pour the lentils and their liquid into the soup pot with the onions and bulghur. Simmer the soup for 15 minutes. Add the rosemary, salt and pepper to taste. If the lentils and bulghur have absorbed too much liquid, add more stock, water, or tomato juice. Remove the bay leaves.
Just before serving, stir in the fresh spinch and let it wilt in the hot soup. Garnish with more fresh parsley and serve with crusty bread.

Spinach and Lentil Soup