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Red Lentil Soup with Greens

This ginger- and licorice-flavored soup chock-full of greens is a gratifying supper any time of year.

Recipe information

  • Yield

    serves 4, yields 6 cups

Ingredients

1 1/4 cups red lentils
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 1/2 teaspoons black mustard seeds (optional)
1 1/2 teaspoons anise or fennel seeds
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon ground ginger, or 2 tablespoons grated peeled ginger root
1 garlic clove, pressed or minced
4 cups rinsed, drained, and chopped fresh mustard greens, Swiss chard, or spinach
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup coconut milk

Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Rinse the lentils and drain. In a soup pot, bring 5 cups of water, the lentils, and salt to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer, cover, and cook until tender, about 30 minutes.

    Step 2

    While the lentils cook, warm the oil in a saucepan on medium heat, add the black mustard seeds, and cover until they pop. Stir in the anise, red pepper flakes, ginger, and garlic and cook for a minute, stirring constantly. Add the greens and the salt and cook, stirring frequently, until the greens are just wilted. Stir in the coconut milk and simmer for a minute. Remove from the heat.

    Step 3

    When the lentils are soft, stir in the greens and coconut milk mixture and add salt to taste.

  2. Serving & menu ideas

    Step 4

    A Greek Salad (page 211) or baby greens dressed with Caesar Dressing (page 220) would be welcome beside a bowl of this soup.

Cover of the cookbook Moosewood Simple Suppers with a red floral motif.
From Moosewood Restaurant Simple Suppers: Fresh Ideas for the Weeknight Table. Copyright © 2017 by Moosewood Collective. Published by Clarkson Potter, an imprint of Penguin Random House, LLC. Buy the full book from ThriftBooks or Amazon.
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