Lentil Mushroom Soup

I adapted a recipe I saw recently on Rachael Ray’s ‘Week In A Day’ series, turning it vegan. The soup itself is very tasty but if I were to make it again I would leave the spinach out. The texture was wrong with the rest of the soup although it was very pretty. But otherwise, it was a great recipe (with my tweaks…hah!)

I had hit up Trader Joe’s this week so I was able to stock on affordable mushrooms, lemons and even spinach!

Lentil Mushroom Soup

Ingredients:

• 2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 3 Tbsp Earth Balance buttery stick
• 1 pound cremini mushrooms, quartered
• 4 shallots, peeled and diced (about 6 ounces and 1 cup diced)
• 1 tsp diced garlic (jarred) or 2 cloves
• ¼ tsp ground black pepper
• 4 cups lower sodium vegetable broth
• 3 cups water
• 1 bay leaf
• 1½ cups French Green Lentils, picked over and rinsed well
• 1 lemon, zested and squeezed
• 6 ounce bag baby spinach

Directions:

Heat a large soup pot over medium-high heat, add in the oil and butter, let the butter melt and then add the mushrooms. Cook for 15 minutes, stirring often. Add the shallots, garlic and pepper, let cook for a minute or two more.

Add the broth, water, bay leaf and lentils, bring to a boil.

Let simmer uncovered over medium-low for 20 minutes.

Add the lemon zest and juice, taste for seasoning and salt as desired.

Stir in the spinach until it wilts and then take off the heat and serve.

Serves 4 to 6, depending on appetite.

~Sarah