Lentil Soup with Kale

101 Cookbooks, from which I've adapted the following lentil soup recipe, is one of my favorite resources to use when looking for a new recipe to try. Heidi Swanson initially conceived the website as a way to record recipes she cooked from her vast cookbook collection. Swanson is also the author of two cookbooks herself, including Super Natural Cooking and Super Natural Every Day.

Lentil Soup with Kale (adapted from this 101 Cookbooks recipe)

makes 6-8 generous servings

6 C water

2 C green lentils, picked through and rinsed

2 t olive oil

1/2 white onion, chopped

1 teaspoon fine-grain sea salt

1/4 C chopped garlic scapes

1/2 C chopped white mushrooms

1 28-ounce can organic fire roasted diced tomatoes

1 C water

1 C low-sodium organic vegetable broth

3 C loosely packed (torn) kale leaves (I just tore the leaves from the stalks into bite-sized pieces)

1. Bring a large pot of water (6 cups) to a boil. Add in the lentils and cook until softened, about 20-25 minutes.

2. While the lentils are cooking, heat a large stockpot over medium-high heat. Add the olive oil to the bottom of the pot and saute the onions with the salt until softened. Add in the chopped garlic scapes and mushrooms and saute for several more minutes.

3. Stir in the fire-roasted tomatoes, water, and veggie broth. Decrease the heat and allow the mixture to simmer.

4. Add in the cooked lentils and simmer for a few more minutes.

5. Stir in the kale and cook for one to two minutes more.

6. Spoon each serving into a bowl. Top with a drizzle of olive oil or small dollop of Greek yogurt or sour cream.