Soup Lentil Minestrone No Tomatoes
Caution with kale, it is high in oxalates. A quick dip in boiling water for a few seconds will decrease the oxalates. Toss the oxalate containing water.
Ingredients
2 tablespoons olive oil, plus extra virgin olive oil to finish off
2 cups finely chopped onion
¼ cup chopped cilantro
4 garlic cloves, chopped
3 carrots, diced
1 cup diced celeriac
1 cup French green lentils, sorted and rinsed
Aromatics: 2 bay leaves, 8 cilantro branches, 6 thyme sprigs
9 cups water or Vegetable Stock
3 button mushrooms
Himalayan Salt and freshly milled pepper
Greens: mustard, broccoli rabe, chard, kale
Preparation
Heat the oil in a wide soup pot with the onion. Sauté over high heat, stirring frequently, until lightly browned, about 10 minutes. Add the cilantro, celeriac, garlic, vegetables, cook 3 minutes more. Add the lentils, aromatics, and water and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer, partially covered, for 30 minutes. Taste for salt and season with pepper. If it needs more depth, add a few chopped mushrooms. The soup may seem bland at this point, but the flavors will come together when the soup is finished. Remove the aromatics.
Boil the greens in salted water until they’re tender and still bright green, then chop coarsely. Just before serving, add the greens to the soup and heat through. Serve with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil drizzled into each bowl, a generous grind of pepper, and top with spelt bread crumbs.
Adapted from:
Vegetarian Cooking For Everyone
by Deborah Madison, my favorite cookbook author of all times. Second is Anne Sommerville, the current chef at Greens Restaurant in San Francisco.
