Cooking Steps

• In a large Dutch oven, heat about 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Add the onions and celery, and cook for about 5 to 6 minutes until softened. Then, stir in the minced garlic and cook for another 1-2 minutes until fragrant. Season with cumin, paprika, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper to taste.
• Add diced carrots and stir to coat.
• Add the lentils and the canned diced tomatoes, and stir to coat.
• Add the vegetable broth and stir to combine. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
• Bring to a boil, and then reduce heat to simmer. With the lid partially covered, simmer for 45 minutes until the lentils are tender, stirring occasionally. If it foams (lentils tend to do that), skim off foam with a spoon. That’s normal.
• Using an immersion blender, blend a few times, without completely pureeing the soup. This is just to give it some consistency. You may also use a countertop blender - blend ⅓ of the soup and stir it back into the pot.
• Add chopped kale and cook for another 3 minutes until reduced and tender. If too thick, add more broth as needed. Adjust seasoning to taste. Enjoy!