I lived off of this soup during college. I still kinda do.

I usually make a double batch and share half with friends & family.

The default spice level is too high for some people. You’ve been warned.

This recipe is based on a one that I found on another blog, although I’ve tweaked it substantially over the years. Apparently the “Oh She Glows” blog has been tweaking the recipe in parallel too, as they posted an updated version in 2016 which is pretty close to my current recipe.

Yield: 12 servings (1lb each)

Ingredients

Vegetables

• 2 large garlic cloves, minced
• 1 sweet onion, diced
• 3 celery stalks, diced
• 2 small carrots, diced

Spices

• 1 bay leaf
• 1 & 1/4 tsp ground cumin
• 2 tsp chili powder
• 1/2 tsp ground coriander
• 1/4-1/2 tsp smoked sweet paprika, to taste
• 1/8th tsp cayenne pepper, or to taste
• 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
• 1 tsp curry powder
• 1 tsp turmeric
• salt and pepper, to taste

Canned goods

• 14-oz can diced tomatoes (including juice)
• 14-oz can coconut milk (light is fine)
• 14-oz can black beans (rinsed)
• 14-oz can chick peas (rinsed)
• 14-oz can pinto beans (rinsed)

Other

• 1/2 tbsp coconut oil (or other oil)
• 4 cups vegetable broth (2 knorr bullion cubes)
• 1 cup red lentils, rinsed and drained
• 2 handfuls torn kale leaves or spinach (frozen is okay)

Instructions:

1. In a large pot, sauté the onion and garlic in oil for about 5-6 minutes over medium heat. Add in the celery and carrots and sauté for a few minutes more.
2. Stir in the bay leaf and the spices. You can add half the spices and add more later if you prefer.
3. Stir in the can of tomatoes (including juice), broth, beans, coconut milk and lentils. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and then simmer, uncovered, for about 20-25 minutes (or an hour if you’re at high altitude), until lentils are tender and fluffy. It’s hard to overcook, just make sure nothing is burning to the bottom of the pot.
4. Stir in kale or spinach and season to taste adding more spices if you wish. I always forget this step, and the soup is good either way.