Spinachy Tomato-y Legumes.

So far in life I haven't been much of a soup person. I love crunch and texture and soup always just seemed soggy and pointless to me. Occasionally I would indulge in a tomato soup or an onion soup. Back in the day when I wasn't as lactose intolerant I would go for cream of broccoli or cream of mushroom. But normally, I never really used to make or order soup.

Until today! This weekend my mom made a lovely bean soup (I need to get the recipe from her sometime) and I took it to work for lunch earlier today. Fabulous. Not heavy, but filling. After work I quickly googled a soup recipe that showed just as much tomato potential and this is what I chose:

Spinach, Tomato and Lentil Soup
I found it here!
Recipe from Aggie’s Kitchen

1lb dried lentils
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
3 carrots, diced
2-3 celery stalks, diced
1 large onion, diced
3-4 cloves garlic, minced
1 red bell pepper, diced
2 cans diced Italian tomatoes, with liquid
2 TB vegetable or chicken bouillion (I like the Better than Bouillon brand, if you don’t have bouillon, just use a vegetable or chicken broth in place of all or some water for flavor)
1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 1/2 teaspoons dried thyme
8 cups water
1 1/2 teaspoons dried parsley
salt and pepper, to taste
3/4 bag fresh spinach
fresh grated Parmesan and extra virgin olive oil, for serving

In a large pot, heat olive oil and add vegetables, garlic, bouillon, spices and a good pinch of salt and pepper. Saute vegetables in oil for about 7-10 minutes until soft and fragrant. Add diced tomatoes, water (or broth), and lentils to vegetable mixture.

Bring soup to a slow boil for a few minutes, then back down to a simmer. Simmer, uncovered, for about 20-25 minutes, until soup starts to thicken. Taste for seasoning as its cooking, add more water if it gets too thick.

In the last 5 minutes of cooking, add fresh spinach leaves to soup and gently stir to combine.