Fall, oh how I love thee…let me count the ways. Fall is one of my favorite times of the year. I love the crunchy leaves under my feet, leaf peeping, boots over jeans, cozy sweaters, apple picking and pumpkin carving. I also love having the excuse to eat soup everyday. I love a good pot of soup, and there is nothing more comforting than filling your favorite pot with a ton of awesome ingredients, and making your house smell magical as all of the flavors start to come together. I could literally eat soup everyday. It’s great because, it tends to get better with time. It is the perfect thing to make and freeze, so that you can enjoy it now and then enjoy it in a few weeks when you are in a pinch and need something healthy.
For the next month I am living in Mendocino, CA working as a chef on the weekends and embracing all things fall and small town living during the week. After spending the last few years living in San Diego, I’ve forgotten what it is like to wake up in the morning to frost on your car and the intense craving for warm hearty foods. Since I am living by myself and have been doing a lot of cooking on the weekends, I developed this recipe to be a one pot wonder. You can quickly prep your ingredients, toss them into your favorite pot and within 30 minutes you will be enjoying a warm, healthy bowl of soul warming soup. I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as I do, and that you have an amazing and festive fall.
Ingredients
- 1 TBS Olive Oil
- 1 Vidalia Onion, diced
- 8 Cloves of Garlic, minced
- 2 Roma tomatoes, diced
- 1/2 Cup of Curly Parsley, chopped
- 1/2 Cup of Cilantro, chopped
- 1/2 Tsp Salt, more to taste
- 2 Tsp Turmeric
- 4 Cups of Vegetable Stock
- 1.5 Cups Red Lentils
- 1 Can Chickpeas, drained
- 5 Cups of Fresh Spinach, I used two containers
- 1 Lemon, juiced
- Extra Cilantro for Garnish, Optional
- Crushed Red Pepper, Optional
Directions:
- In a medium-sized pot, heat up the olive oil and sauté the onion and garlic until soft. Then add the tomatoes and keep sautéing until the tomatoes release all of their water.
- Add the chopped cilantro, parsley, salt and turmeric and sauté for three more minutes, until the herbs start to break down a bit and the turmeric starts to become fragrant.
- Add the stock and bring it to a boil.
- While the stock is coming up to a boil, rinse your red lentils three times, until the water is not cloudy and drain your chickpeas.
- Add the red lentils to the simmering pot and cook for 15-20 minutes, until the lentils start to break down and soften. They will turn from red to yellow.
- Once the lentils start to soften stir in the spinach and add the chickpeas.
- Cover the pot and turn down the heat to medium low, and allow to cook for 10 more minutes until the lentils have cooked completely and the spinach has wilted.
- Taste and add half the lemon juice. Taste again and add more lemon juice and/or salt if needed.
- Serve immediately and garnish with extra cilantro, some crushed red pepper and enjoy.
Happy Fall!
