Broccoli, Kale and Lentil Soup

4 Servings

Preparation Time: 20 min
Cooking Time: 35 min

It’s so easy to make soup from scratch, and this recipe will make you glad you did. The lentils thicken this vegetable-packed soup, and the milk adds a lovely flavour and texture. This soup is even better when made ahead, so make it on the weekend or in the evening, then reheat to pack in a thermos or reheat at lunch time.

Ingredients

1 tbsp butter 15 ml
medium onion, chopped  
cloves garlic, minced  
1/8 tsp hot pepper flakes or smoked paprika 0.5 ml
  Salt and pepper  
1/3 cup dried red lentils, rinsed 75 ml
2 1/2 cups low-sodium vegetable or chicken broth 625 ml
4 cups chopped broccoli (stems and florets separated) 1 l
4 cups chopped packed trimmed kale 1 l
2 cups heated milk 500 ml
2 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice or white wine vinegar 30 ml
Heating the milk helps speed up the overall cooking time of the soup, which keeps the vegetables a nice, bright green colour. Heat the milk in a microwave-safe measuring cup on Medium-High (70%) power for about 5 minutes or in a saucepan over medium heat on the stove top. 
 
Making soup from scratch allows you to keep the sodium level in check. If using a store-bought broth, look for a low-sodium ready-to-use version or use one with no salt added for an even lower sodium soup.

Instructions

Step 1
In a pot, melt butter over medium heat. Sauté onions, garlic, hot pepper flakes and 1/4 tsp (1 mL) each salt and pepper for about 5 minutes or until softened and starting to turn golden. Stir in lentils, broth and broccoli stems. Cover and bring to a boil over high heat.

Step 2
Stir in broccoli florets, kale and milk. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover and simmer, stirring occasionally and adjusting heat to prevent boiling, for 15 to 20 minutes or until lentils and vegetables are soft.

Step 3
Use an immersion blender in the pot or transfer soup to a blender or food processor, in batches, and purée, until smooth or slightly chunky, as desired.

Step 4
Return to pot, if necessary. Heat over medium heat until steaming, but do not let boil. Stir in more milk if soup is too thick. Drizzle in lemon juice while stirring. Season with up to 1/4 tsp (1 mL) salt and pepper to taste.

Nutrition & Notes

Nutrition Information
Valeur nutritive
Per Serving
% Daily Value
% valeur quotidienne
Amount
Teneur
Calories / Calories 222
Fat / Lipides 7 g
Saturated / saturés
+ Trans / trans
Cholesterol / Cholestérol
Sodium / Sodium 182 mg
Carbohydrates / Glucides 29 g
Fiber / Fibres 5.2 g
Sugars / Sucres
Protein Protéines 15 g
Vitamin A / Vitamine A
178 %
Vitamin C / Vitamine C
22 %
Calcium / Calcium
Iron / Fer