Creamy Lentil and Kale Soup

by Sarah

One of my favourite things in the world is a hot bowl of steaming tasty soup and this creamy lentil and kale soup is just what the doctor ordered.  I have been chugging along with a bit of a cold for the last two weeks and filling myself with delicious comfort food is definitely high on the agenda.  Plus with this soup packing a good protein punch from the lentils and kale, I’m giving my body that boost to help recover.

Creamy Lentil and Kale Soup Recipe | Susty Meals | Sarah Irving

Not only does it have that protein hit, it is boosted with vitamin C with a good batch of tomatoes.  Oh and did I mention that it’s vegan too?

The thing I find difficult when I have a cold is having to slow down.  I’m not so good at that I love my walking and really do feel that it helps me to feel better.  Do you find it hard to take a break when you have a cold, too? Please say I’m not the only one!  Anyway, when I make soup, it gives me the perfect opportunity to chill out or a bit. Pop everything into the pan and get it going, add the stock and then relax with a bit of quality TV… something like the Great Canal Journeys or something. (OK, so I admit that we have alternative taste in TV and confess that we have never seen a single episode of Game of Thrones!!!)

Warming and spiced

My creamy lentil and kale soup is  a perfect (if I might say so myself) blend of warming spice and creaminess from the coconut milk.  I also like to leave some of the lentils chunky so you get a really hearty texture – perfect for colder evening and times where you need that comfort in a bowl feeling.

For this recipe I also added some left over veg that was in my vegetable trolley.  So remember, when making soups that for the base you can always add some additional bits to clear the fridge or the drawers. Carrots will make the soup a bit sweeter, so you might want to only add a few if adding to this recipe.

Creamy Lentil and Kale Soup Recipe | Susty Meals | Sarah Irving

TIP!

Also remember that when you’re adding some extra veggies to the mix you might need a little extra water to cover the ingredients while you let them simmer.  I normally boil the kettle and have some spare water to hand if things get a bit thick.

Creamy Lentil and Kale Soup

Ingredients:

2 tbsp olive oil

1 large onions, diced

3 stems of celery, finely sliced

4 cloves of garlic, crushed

1.5 litres of vegetable stock

4 salad tomatoes, diced

400 g tin of coconut milk

2 cups of dry red lentils

1 1/2 tsp ground cumin

1/2 tsp cayenne pepper

one handful (approximately a cup) of chopped Kale

2 tbsp tomato puree

Creamy Lentil and Kale Soup Recipe | Susty Meals | Sarah Irving

Method:

Pour the olive oil into a stock pot or large pan and heat over medium

Add the onions, celery, garlic and coat in the hot oil

Cook over medium for about 5 minutes until they soften, then add the kale, tomatoes, cumin and cayenne

Stir through and make up your stock

Add to the pan the stock, tomato puree and lentils stir thoroughly and add a dash of water if it looks too thick (there should be some water above the vegetables to allow for the lentils to absorb the water)

Bring to the boil then reduce to a simmer, cover and cook for 30 minutes until the lentils are cooked.  Stir occasionally to make sure nothing sticks to the bottom and to add any water if needed

Let it cool for a minute or two and with a stick blender, pulse a few times until about 1/3 of the mixture is blended

Add the coconut milk and warm on the hob until piping hot

Serve with some fresh bread and butter (you can rustle up my Super Quick Bread while you cook this in fact!)

Creamy Lentil and Kale Soup Recipe | Susty Meals | Sarah Irving

I seriously can’t recommend this creamy lentil and kale soup more!  Even as I type this up now I am thinking about when I can next add it to the meal plan.  One thing that I find handy with this soup is that if you’re having other kale dishes during the week, you can use the left overs in the soup – so no waste at all, especially if you add any other left over veggies too.

Feeling inspired about kale?  Why not give one of my other recipes a try? How about Baked Eggs with Creamy Spring Greens, Goat’s Cheese Scramble with Pesto’d Veg or maybe Chickpea, Kale and Tomato Stew.

If you’re feeling inspired by my recipe, please remember to share it so others can find it too!  With the colder weather coming, I am sure everyone could do with having access to some simple, delicious and filling soups to get them through the dark nights! (OK, maybe a bit dramatic!  But sharing is caring!)

Kind of looking forward to some colder weather, but also enjoying the sunshine while I recover from my cold!

Stay warm and enjoy some soup!

Baked Spicy Mexican Eggs

What is your favourite thing to help recover from a cold?  Do you love a chunky soup too?

Let me know in the comments 🙂

 

Creamy Lentil and Kale Soup
Recipe Type: Vegan Soup
Author: Sarah Irving | Susty Meals
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 4
When you need the comfort of soup to make the world right again! This is a creamy and warming soup with a balance of spice. Chunky and filling, it is perfect for colder evenings and when you just need a hug in a bowl! Comfort food at its best.
Ingredients
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 large onions, diced
  • 3 stems of celery, finely sliced
  • 4 cloves of garlic, crushed
  • 1.5 litres of vegetable stock
  • 4 salad tomatoes, diced
  • 400 g tin of coconut milk
  • 2 cups of dry red lentils
  • 1 1/2 tsp ground cumin
  • 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
  • one handful (approximately a cup) of chopped Kale
  • 2 tbsp tomato puree
Instructions
  1. Pour the olive oil into a stock pot or large pan and heat over medium
  2. Add the onions, celery, garlic and coat in the hot oil
  3. Cook over medium for about 5 minutes until they soften, then add the kale, tomatoes, cumin and cayenne
  4. Stir through and make up your stock
  5. Add to the pan the stock, tomato puree and lentils stir thoroughly and add a dash of water if it looks too thick (there should be some water above the vegetables to allow for the lentils to absorb the water)
  6. Bring to the boil then reduce to a simmer, cover and cook for 30 minutes until the lentils are cooked.  Stir occasionally to make sure nothing sticks to the bottom and to add any water if needed
  7. Let it cool for a minute or two and with a stick blender, pulse a few times until about 1/3 of the mixture is blended
  8. Add the coconut milk and warm on the hob until piping hot
  9. Serve with some fresh bread and butter (you can rustle up my
  10. Super Quick Bread
  11. while you cook this in fact!)

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2 comments

Karen 22nd September 2016 - 8:03 pm

YUM! Looks and sounds delicious! Absolutely spot on fr the Autumn season. A real Winter warmer 🙂

Reply
Sarah 23rd September 2016 - 12:41 pm

Thanks, Karen, it really is perfect for the colder weather and would cook up fantastically in a slow cooker for that easy meal after work too! Let me know if you try it 🙂

Reply

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