• 1 pound brown or large green lentils, rinsed and picked over
  • 10 cups vegetable broth or water
  • 1 jalapeño pepper, stemmed, seeded, and chopped
  • 2 teaspoons whole coriander seeds
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons cumin seeds
  • 2 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 2 medium Yukon gold, russet or red potatoes (1 1/4 pounds), scrubbed and cut into 1/2-inch dice
  • 10 ounces baby spinach, chopped
  • 1 small butternut squash (1 pound), peeled, seeded, and cut into 1/2-inch dice (about 3 cups)
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 large onion, chopped
  • 2 ribs of celery, with leaves, sliced
  • 3 large garlic cloves, finely chopped
  • 2 teaspoons kosher salt, or more to taste
  • 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper or more to taste
  • 1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
  • 2 lemons

Step 1

Inside a large soup pot over medium-high temperature, combine the lentils, stock or water, jalapeño, coriander, cumin, oregano, and bay leaves. Provide a boil, then lessen the heat to low. Simmer, partly covered, about half an hour, before the lentils are tender.

Step 2

Add some taters, green spinach, and butternut squash, re-cover and prepare another 15-20 minutes, before the taters and squash are tender.

Step 3

Meanwhile, inside a large skillet over medium heat, heat the essential olive oil until shimmering. Add some onion, and prepare, stirring, until it begins to soften, three or four minutes. Add some celery and garlic clove and prepare, stirring frequently, until they soften, 3 minutes. Add some mixture to the soup, deglazing the skillet after some soup liquid and adding the deglaze contents to the soup pot. Add some pepper and salt, taste them, and increase them as needed. Choose and discard the bay leaves.

Step 4

Thinly slice among the lemons and cut another into wedges. Right before serving, stir the fresh lemon juice into the soup. Serve the soup hot, having a lemon slice floating atop each bowl. Pass lemon wedges while dining.

Calories: 340; Total Fat: 4.5 g; Saturated Fat: 0.5 g; Trans Fat: 0 g; Cholesterol: 0 mg; Sodium: 330 mg; Carbohydrates: 58 g; Dietary Fiber: 22 g; Sugars: 4 g; Protein: 18 g.