It was a dreary, rainy Pacific Northwest day and I was up to my eyeballs in Swiss Chard from our weekly CSA box. Normally I serve swiss chard as a sautéd side dish, or mixed into pasta with roasted beets…but this day just called for a big steamy bowl of soup, so in came this recipe. It has become a regular on our menu; the whole family loves it.
Swiss Chard and Lentil Soup
Adapted from this recipe:
Ingredients:
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1 tablespoon avocado oil
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1 medium onion, finely chopped (1 cup)
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1 clove of garlic, minced
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½ cup tomato sauce
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1 teaspoon dried oregano
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1 teaspoon dried thyme
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1 cup lentils, rinsed
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1 can (14.5 ounces) stewed tomatoes, in juice
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4 cups of water
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1-2 bunches of Swiss chard, stalks cut crosswise into 1-inch pieces, leaves torn into 2-inch pieces (keep stalks and leaves separate)
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Sea salt and ground pepper
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Juice of 1/2 lemon, or 1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
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Prep your veggies. Meanwhile, in a large saucepan heat oil over medium-high heat. Add onion and cook, stirring, until softened and browned, 3 to 5 minutes. Add garlic, oregano, and thyme; stir to combine and cook 30 seconds then add tomato sauce and cook an additional minute.
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Add lentils, 4 cups water, and tomatoes with their juice; bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, covered for 20 minutes. Add chard stalks and cook about 5 minutes. Add chard leaves; season with salt and pepper, and cook until lentils and chard are tender, 15 to 20 minutes.
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Remove from heat, stir in lemon juice and let sit for a few mins to let the flavors meld together before serving.