Lemony Lentil Potato & Chard Soup

Hear me out, I know Swiss chard may not be everyone's cup of tea since it is a bitter green, but once it's steamed or sautéed it turns into a delicious, mild, & sweet green that tastes similar to spinach. This Lemony Lentil Potato & Chard Soup is my number one favorite winter soup and it makes eating Swiss chard much more enjoyable.

The lentils, onion, garlic, and lemon are all sources of prebiotics that your gut bacteria will love. Prebiotics are food for the pre-existing gut bacteria in your colon and these foods will help promote an even healthier gut flora. So not only will your stomach love the warmth and flavor of this soup, but your gut will thank you.

You will need garlic, onion, lemon, green lentils, potato, and green Swiss chard to create this recipe and the best part is that it needs less than an hour on the stove. This recipe is enough for 4 people, but I tend to make this large amount to be able to enjoy for a whole week. So, let's get to the recipe.

Yields: 4

Prep time: 15 minutes

Total time: 1 hour 15 minutes

This recipe is dairy free, gluten free, vegetarian, and vegan.

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Ingredients:

1. 1 cup of green lentils, washed

2. 1 ½ large potatoes, chopped into cubes (or 8 mini potatoes chopped into cubes), washed - you don't have to remove the skin but you can if you'd like

3. 4 cups of Swiss chard, roughly chopped

4. 2 lemons squeezed

5. 5 garlic cloves, minced

6. ½ sweet onion or white onion, finely diced

7. Salt

8. Black pepper

9. Extra virgin olive oil

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Instructions:

1. First have the lentils washed, potatoes, onions, and chard chopped, and the garlic minced.

2. Grab a large pot and pour in ¼ cup of olive oil. Once you can smell the olive oil, add in the onion and garlic. Stir well on medium heat, don't let the onion burn.

3. Once you can smell the onion and garlic, add in the potatoes. Stir well.

4. Then, add in the washed lentils and stir well again. 2 minutes after, add in 7-8 cups of boiling water (I use my electric kettle to boil water - always make sure you are adding hot water to a recipe, never cold).

5. Stir the soup and salt to taste. Stir and cover the pot. Allow the lentils to soften but do not let them become soggy. If you feel like the soup needs more water, you can always add 1-2 cups more as it cooks.

6. While you wait for the soup to cook, grab a small bowl and pour in the juice of 2 lemons, 1 TBSP of olive oil, 1/4 TSP freshly ground black pepper, and 1 TSP of salt. Mix.

7. Once the lentils are ready, add in the Swiss chard and stir well. Pour in the mixture you created as well and stir the soup well. Taste the soup for salt. Add if necessary.

9. Allow the soup to cook for 5 more minutes.

10. Serve and enjoy!

xoxo,

#averagearabgirl