I was going to serve this soup alone, but thought I’d I could at least throw in a side of grilled cheese since lentils aren’t usually the first thing kids crave for dinner. Besides, we needed something to sop up the juices at the bottom of the bowl. So that’s what we did. I used Ezekiel bread, a good organic butter, and raw cheddar. It was the perfect accompaniment to our creamy, nutrient dense soup.
My kids loved this soup and devoured every last spoonful.
Serves 8-10
1 large leek, chopped
3 large carrots, cut into 1/2-inch thick slices
10 cups chicken stock (homemade preferred)
1/4 cup red wine (optional)
1 (28-ounce) jar crushed tomatoes (I prefer Eden Organic)
2 1/2 cups French lentils
2 teaspoons coarse sea salt
1 bunch of kale, chopped into bite-size pieces
juice of half a lemon
1/2 cup crème fraiche or sour cream
dill, for garnishing
Melt butter in a large stock pot over medium heat. Stir in leeks and carrots. Cover pot, turn heat to low and let vegetables sweat for 20 minutes.
Remove lid and add chicken stock, wine (if using), crushed tomatoes, and lentils. Bring to a boil and then lower heat and simmer for about 45 minutes or until lentils are soft. Using a ladle transfer about 4 cups of soup into a blender and blend until smooth. Pour pureed soup back into pot. Stir in kale and lemon juice. Season soup with salt and pepper if needed. Serve soup with a dollop of crème fraiche and a sprig of dill.
Posts may contain affiliate links. If you purchase a product through an affiliate link, your costs will be the same but Deliciously Organic will receive a small commission. This helps cover some of the costs for this site. We appreciate your support!
 |
I rave about myself every night at the dinner table, “Honey, can you believe I made this??” And it’s all thanks to you!! (and teaching me that organic butter is welcomed and embraced! No more fat free, yay!!
{ 19 comments… read them below or add one }
What a scrumptious, healthy meal. It looks wonderful and I can't wait to try it!
Carrie,My family is the same way with the Olympics. We never miss a minute. Thankfully…its only every two years.
I applaud you for sitting down at the table most nights. We're trying to make that our goal (our kids are young yet). We're hoping one day they'll actually be able to sit through a meal without falling off their chairs.
That is so funny about your kids. My husband asks me this when I make soup. It is not his favorite but I give him the same excuse!
Sounds like mine…..Just soup????? Looks lovely, Its almost kale-over season and I still haven't had any!
That's a soup we would all love in this house. Lentil soups are my absolute favorite, and something about using carrot or sweet potato in them makes them so much tastier!
Two of my favorite soup ingredients, lentils and kale – superfoods for super health. This is definitely on my cooking to-do list this week, looks delicious. I just found your site on blogged and am pretty excited to check out your other recipes – I'm also a busy mom and have a compulsion for safe, healthy ingredients and already appreciate your recipes here. Thanks!!
This sounds so delicious and hearty-what a great combination of flavors!
Sounds perfect! Thanks for sharing I cant wait to try out the recipe…
Your Lentil, Carrot, and Kale Soup with Crème Fraiche and Dill looks delicious! I love a hearty soup for dinner.. so filling, yet healthy. I hope I win a copy of the cookbook, would love to try these recipes!
I’ve never cooked with lentils. I assume you used dried ones? If so, do they soften that quickly for this recipe? Thanks!
(I made the Beef & Broccoli Stir Fry from the DO cookbook tonight, and it was a hit!)
Yes, the are dried ones. And yes, because they are so small they will soften in about 45 minutes. I’m so glad you enjoyed the stir fry!
I made this earlier this week. My family LOVED it. My husband and I just began The Maker’s Diet, so we skipped the grilled cheese… but my kiddos loved that too (feels so much better using real ingredients like raw cheddar in lieu of processed American). I loved that the recipe is ready in a relatively short period of time…. tastes like it simmered on the stove all afternoon.
Thanks for the feedback. I’m so glad you all enjoyed it. The Maker’s Diet was one of the first books I read about traditional foods. It’s such a great resource!
This looks/sounds SO good! Thanks for posting it. I usually make a lentil stew/porridge with red lentils, carrots, onion, a little tomato paste, chicken stock and spices in the slow cooker (sometimes I sub butternut squash, rutabagas, or parsnips for the carrots.) But I love the idea of thinning it to make an actual soup, adding the crushed tomatoes, and esp adding the kale. Gotta try this soon, and I’ll definitely suggest it to my Iranian friend, who first taught me how to make red lentil ash (“ash” is Farsi for “stewp”)
Can you use any other lentils beside ‘French’?
Green lentils would make for a nice substitute.
This is a fabulous soup! Made it yesterday and absolutely loved it. Took it to the office to share today, and the group was wild about it! Thanks so much!
Thanks for the feedback. I’m so glad you all enjoyed it!
{ 10 trackbacks }