Lentil and Spinach Soup

This is one of my favorite lentils recipe. It's Jamie Oliver's Lentil and Spinach soup (you have to love that guy, even though he's not vegan. He always uses organic ingredients and he's super into having his own garden, you gotta love that guy)). One you thing you will have to get used to with me is that I will always change the original recipe. Most of the time is because I need to adjust for missing ingredients, but sometimes it's just because I think you need to be adventurous in the kitchen. Am I right?! Otherwise where's the fun in cooking...YOU CAN'T BE SCARED OF TRYING NEW THINGS, if you mess up SO WHAT?!

ok so enough of the blah blah. Here's the recipe

**This soup works really well if you make it with yellow split peas or dried green peas, as well as with greens like spinach, cabbage and swiss chard. 

Serves 6-8

Ingredients

• 2 carrots
• 2 celery stalks
• 2 medium onions
• 2 cloves of garlic
• 1 3/4 quarts vegetable broth, preferably organic (Pretty much the whole carton) 
• olive oil
• a thumb-sized piece of fresh root ginger
• 1/2-1 fresh red chile (I used green serrano peppers instead)
• 10 grape or cherry tomatoes 
• 2 cups red lentils
• 7 cups of spinach (I used a mixed of spinach, kale and swiss chard) 
• sea salt (you always want those extra minerals in your salt!)
• black pepper

To make your soup

• Peel and roughly slice the carrots
• slice the celery
• peel and roughly chop the onions
• peel and slice the garlic
• put the broth in a saucepan and heat until boiling
• put a large saucepan on a medium heat and add 2 tablespoons of olive oil 
• add all of your chopped and sliced ingredients and mix together with a wooden spoon
• cook for around 10 minutes with the lid askew, until the carrots have softened but are still holding their shape, and the onion is lightly golden
• meanwhile, peel and finely slice the ginger
• seed and slice the chile
• remove the stalks from the grape or cherry tomatoes ad slice the tomatoes i half
• add the boiling broth to the pan with the lentils, ginger, chile and tomatoes 
• give the soup a good stir and brig to a boil
• reduce the heat and simmer for 10 min with the lid on, or until the lentils are cooked 
• add the spinach, swiss chard and kale and continue to cook for 30 seconds 

To serve soup

• season well with salt and pepper
• you can now serve the soup just as it is, or using and immersion blender or liquidizer, pulse until smooth
• divide between your servings bowls
• try grilling, toasting or baking chunky croutons or slices of your favorite whole wheat bread