Kale Lentil Soup
Clover Food Lab, a truck at MIT, offers this soup made with its own homemade vegetable stock.
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 onion, chopped
2 carrots, chopped
1 stalk celery, chopped
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 can (15 ounces) whole peeled tomatoes, crushed in a bowl
2 cups (1 pound) brown lentils
1 bay leaf
2 quarts vegetable stock
Salt and pepper, to taste
1/4 cup chopped mixed fresh thyme, rosemary, and parsley
1 bunch ( 1/2 pound) fresh kale, stemmed and chopped
1 tablespoon cider vinegar
1. In a large soup pot over medium heat, heat the olive oil. Add the onion, carrot, and celery. Cook, stirring often, for 5 minutes. Add the garlic and continue cooking, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes more.
2. Stir in the tomatoes and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Add the lentils, bay leaf, stock, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil, lower the heat, and set the cover on askew. Simmer for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add more water during cooking if the soup seems too thick.
3. Add the herbs, kale, and vinegar. Stir well. Return to a boil, lower the heat, and re-cover the pan. Continue cooking, stirring occasionally, for 15 minutes or until the lentils and kale are tender. (Total simmering time is 1 hour.) Taste for seasoning and add more salt or pepper, if you like.