GUEST BLOGGER GAGA MAKES RED LENTIL AND SPINACH SOUP

Written by Ceri Marsh | Sweet Potato Chronicles | January 6th, 2012

I love that our first guest post of the year wasn't written by a parent but a grandparent. Or, more accurately, a Gaga. This Gaga is Alvin Rebick, grandfather to two of my kids' classmates, Rosie and Milo, and our paths often cross at pick up time while we're both cajoling or outright wrestling kids into snowsuits. As well as having far more patience than I'll ever have (I'll have to ask my friend Terra, his daughter, if he was such a saint when she was growing up!), he's also got a lot more experience in the kitchen.

He works with FoodShare Toronto, a non-profit community organization whose vision is Good Healthy Food for All. Their agenda is a broad one, including from education to community gardening to distribution of fresh produce. I was so thrilled when he offered to share a recipe with us. And the timing couldn't be more perfect, this is exactly what I feel like eating right now, a healthy, hearty soup. Thanks, Gaga! – C.M.

At FoodShare Toronto, we prepare soup for hundreds of people every week. The soups we make are for everyone from junior high school students whose cafeteria is in our building, to the homeless, who are part of the "out of the cold" program.

The more soup I make, the more I enjoy it. In many ways it is the perfect food – simple, nutritious and delicious. Every Saturday, when I return from St. Lawrence Market, I grab some celery, carrots and onions, the building blocks and start a soup that will help feed my family, especially my grandchildren, for the week to come.

I love to make a simple chicken stock by throwing a chicken leg or two into a pot with whatever leftover veggies are left in the fridge. The stock adds flavour (you can make a vegetable or beef stock too) and nutrition to the soup and the cooked chicken is great for any number of other dishes.

What follows is the soup I made last weekend – which was gobbled up Sunday night by Rosie.

Gaga's Red Lentil and Spinach Soup

• 1 medium onion, diced
  
• 2 ribs of celery, diced
  
• 2 carrots, peeled and diced
  
• 1 bunch of fesh or package of frozen spinach, chopped
  
• 1 cup cilantro leaves, chopped
  
• 1 tsp ground cumin
  
• 2 tsp curry powder
  
• salt & pepper to taste
  
• 1 Tbs canola or sunflower oil
  
• 2 cups of red lentils thoroughly rinsed
  
• 10 – 12 cups stock, water or a combination of both

Method

1. In a soup pot, sautee onions, celery and carrots in oil, until onions have wilted (3-5 minutes).
2. Add lentils, cumin and curry powder and stir to combine.
3. Add stock, cilantro and spinach.
4. Bring to a boil and simmer on medium heat for 1 hour or until lentils are soft.
5. Add salt & pepper to taste.