A very flavorful soup and a great way to get more greens and beans in your day!

Makes 4 servings

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
• 2 carrots, chopped
• 4 garlic cloves, pressed or minced
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon curry powder
• ½ teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 large can (28 ounces) diced tomatoes
• 1 cup brown or green lentils, picked through and rinsed
• 4 cups vegetable broth
• 2 cups water
• 1 teaspoon salt
• Pinch of red pepper flakes
• Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 1 cup chopped fresh collard greens or kale, tough ribs removed
• 1 to 2 tablespoons lemon juice (½ to 1 medium lemon), to taste

Instructions:

• Warm the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat then add the chopped onion and carrot, stirring occasionally, until the onion has softened slightly, about 5 minutes.
• Add the garlic, cumin, curry powder and thyme, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
• Add the diced tomatoes, stirring to heat for about 5 minutes.
• Add the lentils, broth and the water.
• Add salt, a pinch of red pepper flakes and a few grinds of freshly ground black pepper. Increase to medium-high heat and bring to a boil. Loosely cover the pot and reduce heat to a low simmer. Cook for 25 to 30 minutes, or until the lentils are tender but not breaking down.
• At this point, you can place a couple of cups of the soup in a blender and puree or use an immersion blender to puree a portion of the soup. Be careful with the hot liquid. Return the pureed liquid to the pot.
• Add the chopped greens and cook for 5 more minutes, or until the greens are at your desired tenderness.
• Remove the pot from the heat. Stir in 1 tablespoon of lemon juice. Taste and season with more salt, pepper, red pepper and lemon juice as desired.

This recipe was adapted from Cookie and Kate.