Moroccan-Style Lentil, Chickpea and Kale Soup

Clea Grady

An easy weekday dinner, and fabulous the next day as a leftover lunch; this really is one of my favourites!

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Ingredients

Good slug of olive oil
1 x large onion (red or white, whatever you prefer/have in the cupboard)
3/4 big cloves of garlic, finely chopped
A good chunk of ginger, peeled and diced finely (about the same amount in total as the garlic)
1 x large lemon
Teaspoon of cumin
Half a teaspoon of cayenne pepper
3/4 sundried tomatoes from a jar (chopped as finely as you can get them)
Handful of cherry tomatoes
1 x cup of red lentils
1 x tin of chickpeas
1 x tin of chopped tomatoes
Good few handfuls of kale, washed and chopped
2 x cups of vegan veggie stock (I use Bouillon)
1 x cup of water
Cracked pepper to taste

An easy weekday dinner, and fabulous the next day as a leftover lunch; this really is one of my favourites!

Preparation

Serves 2-4 (we have big bowls, so it could easily stretch further if needs be - but in all honesty I think it serves 2 as a main meal if you want leftovers the next day, which I really recommend!) A really good soup pan is great for this recipe. I have a fake Le Creuset, which does exactly what it needs to, but at a fraction of the price. If you haven't got one then I recommend it, or the real deal if you have the cash, as I make almost everything in it. Obviously a big ol' saucepan will do for this as well.

Method

Moroccan Lentil, Chickpea and Kale Soup. A hearty vegan soup, packed full of protein.

I’m a bit of a chuck-it-in-and-taste as I go kind of girl, so please forgive the lack of ‘absoluteness’ with this recipe. But this really is a soup you will make your own, so adapt the flavours to suit your own tastes. I like spicy food, so maybe go easy on the cayenne for the first run…

Put some olive oil in a pan and get it on a low heat
Chop up your onion and chuck in the pan
Chop/mince up your garlic and ginger and add to the pan
Add the cumin and cayenne and stir well
Wash your lemon and chop into fairly chunky slices – I pretty much use the entire lemon as I just love the flavour, but you may want to use three slices to begin with – and add to the pan
Add the finely chopped sundried tomatoes and mix in
In a separate bowl, wash your lentils and drain – set aside
In a colander, empty 1 tin of chickpeas and wash well
Add the lentils to the pan and mix well
Add the chickpeas to the pan and mix well
Cut your cherry tomatoes into quarters and add to the mix
Open a can of chopped tomatoes and pour into the pan – mix well
In order to get out the remaining tomato/juice from the can, fill with cold water and pour into the pan (roughly 1 cup of water)
Add enough water to the kettle for two more cups and switch on
Mix up your veggie stock and add to the pan
Mix well and cover with lid, leave covered for approximately 10 minutes (this gives you time to tidy/wash up what you’ve used so far)
Put kale in colander and wash. Leave on side, ready for later
The soup needs about 20/30 mins to thicken (lid off), and needs stirring every now and then. It should be simmering hot, but not boiling
When you are happy that it’s pretty much ready, roughly chop your kale and add to the soup
Simmer for an additional 5 minutes or so and then your soup is ready to serve
Add pepper to taste or for garnish
Dig in!

This is lovely served with Marmite and Violife cheese on hot/toasted ciabatta, and makes a delicious filling lunch the next day. Packed with flavour, protein and goodness, this is a soup I make as soon as I feel the hint of a sniffle… Add extra cayenne, garlic and ginger to blast that cold right away!

A special mention to Four Corners Lentil Soup, which was the original soup my lovely friend brought round and the inspiration for this recipe.