CHARD AND LENTIL SOUP from Samuel

By pat1908

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 tsp sweet paprika
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 or 2 medium bunches of scallions, trimmed, white parts cut into 1/4 inch pieces, enough green part cut similarly to fill 1/4 cup
• 1 lb lentils (green, brow, red) (Red are preferred)
• 5 1/2 cups chicken broth or vegetable soup
• 3-4 cloves of garlic minced
• 1 bunch of chard (red preferred but white or yellow stem work well too) stemmed and leaves roughly chopped
• 1 bunch cilantro, coarsely chopped
• Juice of 1 lemon
• Kosher or sea salt to taste (use no much because broth typically has a lot of salt)
• A small pinch of crushed red pepper flakes
• Fresh ground pepper to taste

Preparation

Step 1

In a 6 qt pot, heat the olive oil, paprika, and cumin over low heat, stirring until aromatic, 2 to 4 minutes. Stir in the scallion whites, cook until wilted, about 5 minutes.
Stir in the lentils, broth, and garlic. Bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer for 2 to 30 minutes, or until the lentils are almost done.
Stir in the scallion greens, and chard. Simmer until the chard is cooked through and the lentils are soft. Add the cilantro and lemon juice a few minutes before serving.
Season with fresh ground pepper. Provide additional fresh ground pepper and lemon juice for individual use by diners.