Lemony Lentil Soup with Beet Green Crisps
Lemon juice and zest brighten up this easy-to-make lentil soup. The beet green crisps are optional but highly recommended – they add a deliciously salty note to the whole bowl.
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Ingredients
- 3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- 3 large carrots, diced
- 1 large yellow onion, diced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 4-5 sprigs fresh thyme
- 6 1/2 cups low-sodium vegetable broth + additional to taste (TRY: Pacific Foods Organic Vegetable Broth Low Sodium)
- 1½ cups red or yellow lentils, picked over and rinsed
- ¾ tsp sea salt + additional to taste
- Ground black pepper, to taste
- 1½ tsp fresh lemon zest + ¼ cup fresh lemon juice
Beet green crisps
- 1 bunch beet greens or ½ bunch Swiss chard (NOTE: Make sure to dry well after rinsing. We like to keep the stems on; however, you can trim stems off leaves and just roast leaves if desired.)
- 2 tsp coconut oil, melted
- ¼ tsp sea salt
Preparation
- In a medium pot on medium, heat olive oil. Add carrots and onion and cook, stirring until tender, about 6 minutes. Add garlic and thyme and cook for 1 to 2 minutes until fragrant.
- Add broth, lentils, ¾ tsp salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to a simmer and cook partially covered until lentils are tender, 15 to 20 minutes. Pull out thyme sprigs and discard. Stir in lemon zest, lemon juice and additional salt, as needed.
- Meanwhile, prepare crisps: Preheat oven to 350°F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, toss greens and coconut oil, rubbing into both sides of leaves. Arrange in a single layer and sprinkle with ¼ tsp salt. Bake for 5 minutes; turn over and bake for 5 minutes more, or until dry and crispy. (NOTE: If your oven runs hot, check greens after 3 minutes to avoid burning.)
- Divide soup among bowls and break up Beet Green Crisps over top.
Nutrition Information
- Serving Size 1/6 of soup
- Calories 447
- Carbohydrate Content 62 g
- Cholesterol Content 0 mg
- Fat Content 15 g
- Fiber Content 12.5 g
- Protein Content 19 g
- Saturated Fat Content 4 g
- Sodium Content 0 mg
- Sugar Content 8 g
- Monounsaturated Fat Content 0 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat Content 2 g