Lebanese lentils and kale soup

This is one of my all time favorite soups! The original recipe uses swiss chard but I am never too shy to make changes, I actually enjoy that quite a bit! So I decided to replace the swiss chard (although seriously delicious) with kale just because I had a bunch of kale in my fridge and wondered what to do with it, and the result was super yummy! I've often made this soup either with swiss chard, spinach, kale or even romaine lettuce, depending on whatever I had in my fridge at the moment, the flavor varies a bit every time but it is always delicious. 

Ingredients (serves 6-8)

- 1 large onion, diced

- 5 thin carrots or 3 larger ones, sliced

- 2-3 large potatoes, diced

- 1 cup green lentils, picked and rinsed

- 5 garlic cloves, minced

- a small bunch kale stems, tough parts removed

- 1 lemon, juiced

- a handful cilantro, chopped/ 1 teaspoon dry coriander

- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil plus extra to garnish

- a pinch cinnamon

- sea salt and pepper, to taste

In a large pot, heat the evoo then sauté onions until translucent, add carrots and potatoes and sauté 4 minutes, add lentils and enough water to cover the veggies. Add salt and pepper and let simmer on low heat, covered. When veggies are almost ready, add the shredded kale and let simmer until all veggies have boiled. If you love garlic as much as I do, add it at the end of the cooking time, if your palate is more delicate, add it in the beginning, with the onions. Add salt, pepper, lemon juice, cinnamon, coriander and drizzle with extra virgin olive oil. Enjoy! Note: it tastes even better the next day!

Supa libaneza de linte si frunze de nap

Aceasta e una din supele mele preferate! Reteta originala foloseste o alta planta (EN. swiss chard ) dar cum mie imi place sa experimentez cu diferite ingrediente, m-am gandit sa o inlocuiesc cu frunze de nap. Am facut aceasta supa si cu spanac si cu laptuca si de fiecare data a iesit ceva delicios asa incat nu va sfiiti sa folositi oricare din verdeturile mentionate sau altele care va vin in minte!

Ingrediente (6-8 portii)

- 1 ceapa mare, tocata marunt

- 5 morcovi subtiri sau 3 mai grosi, taiati rondele

- 2-3 cartofi mari, taiati cubulete

- 1 cana linte verde, aleasa si spalata

- 5 catei de usturoi, tocati marunt

- o legatura mica frunze de nap

- zeama de la o lamaie

- o mana frunze de coriandru proaspat, maruntit sau 1 lingurita coriandru uscat

- un varf de cutit scortisoara

- 2 linguri ulei de masline extra virgin

- sare si piper dupa gust

 Intr-o oala mare, incalziti uleiul de masline si caliti ceapa pana ce devine transparenta, adaugati morcovii si cartofii si mai caliti timp de 4 minute. Adaugati lintea si apa cat sa acopere bine legumele, sarati si piperati. Fierbeti la foc mic. Cand legumele sunt aproape fierte, adaugati frunzele de nap taiate marunt (dupa ce le-ati indepartat de pe tulpina) si lasati pe foc pana ce toate legumele s-au fiert. Luati de pe foc. Daca sunteti amatori de usturoi, adaugati-l la sfarsit, daca nu - caliti-l la inceput, impreuna cu ceapa. Adaugati zeama de lamaie, coriandrul, scortisoara si un strop de ulei de masline. Supa e si mai buna a doua zi! Pofta buna!