This is a bitingly cold day that screams for soup – something that can almost instantly satisfy the craving, not after hours of simmering, but more like 45 minutes start-to-finish.

Months ago I discovered a delicious Vegan Lentil Soup on Cookie + Kate’s blog, and borrowed many of the ingredients, a few of her techniques, and added my own spin to make this the soup that I crave more than any other.  It’s the addition of curry, cumin, and lemon juice that give this soup its warm, bright flavor; the addition of tomatoes to develop the gorgeous golden color; and the pureeing of just two cups of it to give it body.  With kudos and thanks to Kate Taylor for her blog and for getting this soup started for me, I’m delighted to share my version of:

LENTIL SOUP PLUS

Makes about 12 cups, for 6 hearty servings

INGREDIENTS:

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

1 large white onion, 2 large or 4 small carrots, and 2 stalks celery all chopped coarsely

4 medium-sized minced garlic cloves

1/2 T fresh thyme or 1/2 t dried

2 t cumin

1 t curry powder

pinch of red pepper flakes

Hefty grinding of black pepper

1 28-ounce can diced tomatoes or whole tomatoes broken roughly by hand, with about 1/2 the juice from the can

1 cup brown lentils

1/3 cup green or yellow split peas

1/3 cup pearl barley

7 cups chicken broth (I always use Better Than Bouillion)

About 2 cups baby spinach or arugula

1-1/2 T fresh lemon juice

PREPARATION:

Heat olive oil over medium heat in large soup pot and sauté the chopped vegetables about 5 minutes.  Add the garlic, thyme, curry, and cumin and stir about 30 seconds.  Stir in the tomatoes with some of the juice, the red pepper flakes and pepper.  Add the lentils, split peas and barley, stirring to combine.  Add the chicken broth and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat and simmer, partially covered, about 30 minutes.  Puree two cups of the soup in your blender until smooth and add back into the pot.  Finally add the greens and lemon juice and stir until the greens are wilted.  Enjoy!