Lentil Soup- Moroccan Style

Ingredients:
2 T. veggie broth
1 medium onion chopped
4 cloves garlic minced
2 carrots diced
2 celery stalks diced
1 potato peeled and chopped
2 zucchini, quartered lengthwise then diced
4 roma tomatoes, deseeded and chopped
1 1/2 t. ground cumin
1 1/2 t. ground curry powder
1 2 inch piece of kombu (or two bay leaves)
1 bag dry lentils rinsed
8 cups vegetable broth (see my video for fresh homemade veggie broth)
1 bunch fresh spinach washed and de-stemmed
1 t. ground ginger
2 T. fresh lemon juice
2 T. fresh cilantro chopped
ground black pepper and salt to taste


Heat 2 T. broth in a large pot over med. heat.  Add onion and garlic cook for 5 minutes.  Dice or chop as you go and add in this order: carrots, celery, potato, zucchini, and tomatoes.  Add cumin and curry and mix.  Add kombu, lentils and broth and bring to a boil over high heat.  Cover and simmer over low heat for 30 min.

Add spinach and cook for 15 more minutes.  Add ginger, lemon juice, cilantro and pepper and stir until heated through.  Remove kombu, and puree with a hand held immersion blender, or in batches in a regular blender.

Serve with fresh rosemary bread or sourdough bread, and top with tomatoes, cilantro and/or sesame seeds.

Substitutions: fresh green beans or mushrooms are also great in this soup.  I add them just after the potatoes.

Enjoy!  Kids love this soup.  And really, could you get any healthier? It's for everyone! :)