Carrot-Apple Soup with Lentils & Spinach

This morning felt like Monday to me. Which is odd, because right now, I swear it's Thursday.

But who knows, maybe I just need another brownie. Or to get a life.


Or maybe it's just because the anticipation of crisp weather has me doing things like making soup when the thermometer still reads 86F. Like throwing a heavy comforter on my bed that I just have to remove each night or suffer through being sweaty (I got a new duvet!). Like stocking up on cans of pumpkin at Wegmans. Like taking a shopping trip with my mom and buying a (super cute) winter hat (plan ahead much?) and sweater. Or drooling over pumpkin beers. 


Dear Fall, I made you soup. I'm ready. Now let's kill some leaves.

Soundtrack: Adam recommended:


 


Carrot-Apple Soup with Lentils & Spinach


3 garlic cloves, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
2 c. chicken stock (or vegetable, for vegetarian)
2 c. water
3/4 lb carrots, peeled and cut into thirds (size tends to vary)
3 medium russet potatoes, peeled and quartered
3 medium gala apples, peeled, de-cored and cut into quarters
1 cinnamon stick
1/2 tsp celery salt
1 tsp ground fennel seed
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
1 tsp oregano
1 c lentils, rinsed
1 tbsp grated parmigiana-regianno cheese
4-5 heaping handfuls baby spinach
EVOO, Salt & pepper


In a small stock pot, heat a drizzle of EVOO. Add garlic and onions and saute until onions are clear and just beginning to brown.


Add stock, water, carrots, potatoes, apples, cinnamon stick and celery salt. Season with salt and pepper and stir to combine. Bring heat up to high and cover. Once liquid begins to boil, remove lid, set heat to medium, and continue to cook for about 10 minutes, until carrots and potatoes are soft and can be pierced with a fork.


Once vegetables are cooked through, remove the cinnamon stick. Using an immersion blender, puree the soup until it reaches a fairly smooth consistency. (A few lumps will add some character.)


Once soup is pureed, stir in the fennel seed, red pepper flakes, oregano and lentils and add the cinnamon stick back into the soup. Season again to taste with salt and pepper. Bring back to a boil. Once soup boils, reduce heat and simmer for another 10-15 minutes, until lentils are cooked.


Stir in parmigiana-regianno, then stir in spinach, one handful at a time.


Serve with a fresh loaf of bread, with a nice crisp crust. But don't call it crusty.

Floaters!

Getting right down to the core of it...

A little this, a little that

Wet lentils feel like little pebbles..