2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil2 large yellow onions, chopped1 1/4 teaspoons salt, divided2 tablespoons plus 4 cups water, divided
1 cup lentils
8 large green chard leaves1 medium potato, scrubbed
12 cups gently packed spinach (about 10 ounces)
4 scallions, cut into 1-inch pieces5 cups vegetable broth2 cups chopped broccoli1 tablespoon cumin1/2 teaspoon ground coriander1 cup chopped fresh cilantro2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint1/2 jalapeño pepper, mincedFreshly ground pepper to taste1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
Crumbled feta cheese for garnish
Heat oil in a large skillet over high heat. Add onions and 1/4 teaspoon salt; cook, stirring frequently, until the onions begin to brown, about 5 minutes. Reduce the heat to low, add 2 tablespoons water and cover. Cook, stirring frequently until the pan cools down, and then occasionally, always covering the pan again, until the onions are greatly reduced and have a deep caramel color, 25 to 35 minutes.
Meanwhile, rinse lentils and pick out any small stones; combine the lentils with the remaining 4 cups water in a soup pot or Dutch oven. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to maintain a simmer, cover and cook for 20 minutes. Trim the white ribs out of the chard; chop the greens and slice the ribs (keep in separate piles). Cut potato into 1/2 -inch dice. Chop spinach; set aside.
When the lentils have cooked for 20 minutes, stir in the chard ribs, potato, scallions, broth and the remaining 1 teaspoon salt; return to a gentle simmer. Cover and cook for 15 minutes.
Stir in the chard leaves, broccoli, cumin and coriander. When the onions are caramelized, stir a little of the simmering liquid into them; add them to the soup. Return to a simmer, cover and cook 5 minutes more. Stir in the reserved spinach, cilantro, mint, jalapeño and pepper; return to a simmer, cover and cook until the spinach is tender but still bright green, about 5 minutes more. Stir in 1 tablespoon lemon juice. Taste and add more lemon juice and/or pepper, if desired. Garnish each bowl of soup with a drizzle of olive oil and crumbled feta cheese.
Adapted from Eating Well
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This recipe was most recently featured in
Boston Organics Newsletter No. 12 of 2014.