Yesterday, after gleaning more stuff from the garden before a few frosty nights this week I decided to make Lentil Cabbage Soup or ‘clean up the garden’ soup. Just about all of the veggies, other than the lentils, came from the garden. Along with the usual onion and garlic I used a small head of cabbage that had split from all the rain we had last week, a few less than stellar looking tomatoes, a multi-colored sweet pepper that was green and starting to ripen into gold, and a freshly picked carrot. I added a cup of lentils to thicken the plot. It made a pretty huge pot so if we get tired of eating it for lunch this week I’ll just freeze a container or two for a quick fix in the dead of winter.
Lentil Cabbage Soup
2 T. Olive Oil
1 onion, chopped
2-3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 green pepper, chopped]
4 cups cabbage, chopped
2 cups tomatoes, chopped
1 carrot, chopped
1 cup green lentils
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. cumin
1 tsp. garlic powder
½. tsp dried basil or oregano
Freshly ground pepper
Veggie broth seasoning to taste
10 cups water
Sauté onions, peppers and garlic for 3-4 minutes then add the cabbage and cook for a few more minutes. Add the tomatoes and carrots & simmer for about 10 minutes until the tomatoes juice up or down as the case may be. Stir in the salt, pepper and spices, add the lentils and water or broth and simmer for at least an hour or two. Adjust your seasonings and add fresh herbs if you have them. Makes a very hearty and tasty soup.
