Since I’d already gone through most of my kale recipes this summer, I decided to add this week’s share to a dressed-up version of one of my favorite lentil side dishes. Lentils are the perfect fall comfort food; they’re hearty, lend themselves to many different preparations and are relatively inexpensive. The kale adds a nice chewy texture to the tender lentils, while the chili powder and tumeric give the earthy legumes a spicy heat.

{Recipe after the jump.}

Kale and Lentil Soup

Cooking time: around 1 hour

Ingredients:

• one bunch CSA kale
• 1 1/2 cup lentils
• 1 cup stock (vegetable or chicken)
• 2 tbs olive oil
• 1/3 chopped CSA carrots
• 1/3 cup diced CSA onion
• 2 bay leaves
• 1/3 cup chopped CSA celery
• 1 tbs chili powder
• 1 tbs tumeric
• 1 tbs sherry vinegar or red wine vinegar

Directions:

1.  Wash the celery, carrots, and kale to remove any dirt and grit.

2.  Dice the onions and cook in the olive oil on low heat until translucent.

3.  Add in the chopped celery and carrots and cook until soft.

4.  Mix in the lentils and stock along with the bay leaf, chili powder and tumeric. Simmer on low heat for 45 minutes, or until lentils are tender.