When I went to the farmer’s market this morning, I didn’t have a clear idea of what I wanted to make for lunch. I opted for Tuscan kale also called Lacinato kale or black kale or Nero Toscana and decided to make a soup.
To trim the kale take each leaf of kale and run a sharp knife down both sides of rib, starting at fat end and sliding the knife down. Repeat for the entire bunch and discard ribs. Or do as I do and grab the stem with one hand and run your index finger and thumb of the other hand along the rib and pull from the fat end to the top tearing the leaves. Quicker.
prep time 10 min cook time 45-50 min
ingredients for 6
- 350g lentils
- 2 l of water or vegetable broth
- 1 bunch of Tuscan kale
- 1 celery stick, cut into rounds
- 1 carrot, cut into rounds
- 1 onion, diced
- 1-2 garlic cloves, minced
- mix of aromatic herbs minced: oregano, marjoram, loose leaf parsley
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 2 tablespoons extra vergin olive oil
- salt and pepper
- slices of crusty bread
1. Destem and chop the kale and rinse the lentils.
2. Heat the oil in a large pot. Add in the onion, garlic and herbs and cook for 3-5 minutes until translucent.
3. Add in the celery and carrot and cook for 2 more minutes.
4. Stir in the lentils and add salt and pepper.
5. Top with vegetable broth and tomato paste.
6. Lower heat and let simmer for about 30 minutes. The cooking time depends on the variety of lentils you use.
7. Stir in kale and cook for 5-8 minutes until kale has wilted.
8. Serve warm with bread.
Tip: For your carbs instead of bread you can use soup pasta like ditalini or conchigliette.
Tip: A little bit of peperoncino will give this soup some kick 🙂
FOR GLUTEN FREE ALTERNATIVE use appropriate bread or pasta
BUON APPETITO!