Lentil and Swiss Chard Soup

Lentil and Swiss Chard Soup

Not everything in this recipe was bought locally but it's a start in the right direction. The original recipe is from Martha Stewart, here is the link: http://www.marthastewart.com/317401/lentil-and-swiss-chard-soup. I made just a few changes such as adding 2 more cups of water and 2 teaspoons of minced garlic. It took about 20-30 min. longer to cook. If you are in a hurry or have a bunch of toddlers hanging on you just dump all the ingredients in, it will turn out great. The changes are noted below.

A few of the items were purchased through Bountiful Baskets: lentils, lemon, garlic and herbs. The herbs were fresh but I dried them for two weeks. From Desert Roots CSA I had a spring onion, swiss chard and raw aged goat's cheese added for a topping.  The tomato paste and diced tomatoes were purchased from Costco. I would love to make my own tomato products from locally bought tomatoes, that's my plan for this summer. Bread served on the side was Sourdough from Arizona Bread Co purchased in bulk from Bountiful Basket.

Links:
http://www.azbreadco.com/
http://www9.bountifulbaskets.org/
http://www.desertrootsfarm.com/
http://www.localharvest.org/footes-hold-dairy-M23825

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon olive oil, plus more for serving
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped (1 cup)
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 2 teaspoons minced garlic
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 cup lentils, picked over and rinsed
• 1 can (14.5 ounces) diced tomatoes, in juice
• 2 bunches (about 1 1/2 pounds total) Swiss chard, stalks cut crosswise into 1-inch pieces, leaves torn into 2-inch pieces (keep stalks and leaves separate)
• 7 cups of water
• Coarse salt and ground pepper
• Juice of 1/2 lemon
• Bread, for serving (optional)

Directions

1. In a large saucepan with a lid, heat oil over medium-high. Add onion, garlic and cook, stirring, until softened and browned, 3 to 5 minutes. Add tomato paste, oregano, and thyme; stir to combine.
2. Add lentils, 7 cups water, and tomatoes with their juice; bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, partially covered, 40 minutes. Add chard stalks and cook until beginning to soften, about 5 minutes. Add chard leaves; season with salt and pepper, and cook until lentils and chard are tender, 15 to 20 minutes.                                                        
3. Stir in lemon juice; ladle soup into bowls. Drizzle with olive oil, and serve with bread, if desired.