Tags
cooking, food, gluten free, recipe, soup, vegan, vegetarian
On Friday evening last week a man came into my apartment with a fancy bottle of wine. He told me it was for my birthday, which was strange because my birthday is actually not until Saturday – as in three days from now. This man took me for a walk down the street to pick out some fancy cheese to go with the fancy wine. We went back to the apartment and enjoyed the wine and cheese together, and then he made us some sandwiches for dinner – and let me tell you, that man makes a mighty fine sandwich.
On Saturday I bundled up and headed out into the beautiful cold day, first to Swedish class, and then to work. It was past 7pm when I got home, and as I walked up the stairs to the apartment I could smell something insanely delicious, and I knew that man was still at it. I walked in the door and was presented with a three course dinner made from one of our favourite cookbooks. A super special surprise birthday dinner a full week before my birthday. I tell ya, it knocked my socks off. The whole weekend did.
It can be so easy to forget to slow down and take care of each other, and that this man, who likes to do everything fast, took the time to do this really meant a lot to me. It was a very simple, sweet, and unexpected way to spend the weekend, and the memory of it will stay with me and will carry me through inevitable tougher times.
Of course life goes back to the usual routines, and one of ours is soup on Sundays. This is something that I make often – a ruddy tomato lentil soup with a healthy dose of greens. I switch up the ingredients a bit depending on the season, and right now it is canned tomatoes and frozen spinach which are offering the most flavour and the fewest food miles. In the summer months I might use Swiss chard or fresh spinach in great big handfuls, and, when I can find it, I’ll use shredded kale.
This soup is great on its own, and I’m also quite fond of it with a bit of brown rice or barley, as is pictured here. It packs a good nutritional punch flying solo, but you can add a poached egg for extra protein if you like. Like most soups, this one freezes really well and is great to have on hand for busy times.
One year ago: Tom Yam Soup and Homemade Bagels
Two years ago: Savoy Slaw
Tomato Spinach Lentil Soup Recipe:
The thing about frozen spinach where I live is that it comes in a big bag of little cubes (which are really convenient if you just want a bit of frozen spinach – I throw a handful into my smoothie most mornings), so I just tossed them in and let them thaw in the heat of the soup. If your frozen spinach comes in a big brick you may want to thaw it a bit first, but in either case don’t bother squeezing the liquid out. The spinach water is a nice addition to the broth.
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2 cups small green or beluga lentils, checked over for stones and rinsed well
1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
3-4 cloves of garlic, minced
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
2 cans (395g each) of diced tomatoes, including juices
4 cups vegetable broth
250g frozen spinach, unthawed
salt and pepper
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Bring a medium pot of water to the boil. Salt it well and add the lentils. Reduce to a simmer, cover and cook for around 20 minutes. The lentils should be just barely tender, even a little under cooked since they will finish in the soup. When they are at that point drain them and set aside.
Meanwhile, heat a large soup pot or dutch oven over medium heat. Add olive oil, then the onion. Sauté the onion until it is starting to become golden, then add the garlic, salt, and red pepper flakes. Cook for a few minutes more until the garlic begins to brown as well. Now add the canned tomatoes with their juices, the vegetable broth, and the frozen* spinach. Give everything a good stir and allow the soup to come to a simmer and the spinach to thaw – about 5 minutes. Stir in the lentils now, and decide whether your soup may need a bit more liquid; it will thicken slightly as it sits. Taste and decide whether you need a bit of salt and pepper, and season as you like. Let the soup meld together for a few minutes more, then you’re ready to serve.
Serve hot in bowls with a bit of barley or brown rice. I think a drizzle of yoghurt is nice, and Paul likes a scoop of cottage cheese with his.
*If you’re using fresh greens rather than frozen, stir them in at the very end of the cooking time.
Lentils are a nutritional powerhouse. They are a great source of dietary fiber,manganese, iron, and protein.
Spinach is an excellent source vitamin K, magnesium, manganese, and calcium (good for your bones), folate, potassium, and vitamin B6 (good for your heart), iron, vitamin B2, vitamin A, vitamin C, and vitamin E. And, spinach is a great source of dietary fiber.
All text and photos © The Muffin Myth 2013
Soup on Sundays?! Love that – I think we need to institute that around here too. This is a very welcome dinner idea for me this week – after a few days of attending events and eating out this week, I am so ready to curl up at home with something healthy and comforting.
It’s a great routine. We make soups for 3 or so weeks in a row, always stashing a bit away in the freezer. Then on busy weeks we have soup to pull from the freezer and dinner is easy.
Love to hear that your man has treated you so well over your birthday week. More thought and effort than a bought present. Of course I’m nosey as to what he made but you can keep that a mystery. I put together a very similar soup occasionally, but I add lemon (I put it in most things whether needed or not!) & kale, as that grows year- round here in Scotland. I have some kale in the garden even now. Lentil based soups satisfy a vegan or vegetarian soup like no other, especially the more toothsome Puy lentils. Yours looks very inviting with its little pile of brown rice
PS I haven’t seen the smoked garlic again but when I do I’ll buy you a pack.
It was a nice dinner from one of our favourite Indian cookbooks. A chickpea cucumber salad thing, then spicy breaded tofu (recipe is for fish, but I don’t eat fish) in a yoghurt curry. So yummy. And yes, more effort than going out for dinner or buying something
What a perfect & thoughtful weekend – all the more so for being a week early and therefore being that much more of a surprise for you. He’s a definite catch.
This is one of my favourite soups to make (especially with a good dose of red pepper flakes & chilli) and I love the idea of using fresh ingredients in the summer.
This sounds delicious and filling! I’ve never made lentils before and I’m very excited to try
Never made lentils?! Well I do hope you give it a try and let me know what you think of your first lentil experience
What a thoughtful pre-birthday surprise! Glad y’all got to slow down and enjoy each other. I’m in a lentil soup rut, and this looks like a great way to un-stick and try something new. I’ll have to make a batch this weekend, perfect for our cold weather. (Well, cold to us.)
It is definitely a great cold weather soup, whatever cold weather means to you. It’s all relative, right? This morning on the walk from the train to my class I was telling a colleague that I didn’t think there was really much difference between -10 and -18 (which is how cold it was). And then about a minute later I could feel the cold in my sinuses from breathing it in, and recanted my statement. Soup for all!
I can’t wait to make this. YUM.
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This soup is freakin fantastic!!!
So glad you like it! It’s one of my favourites.