Garlicky Lentil Soup With Swiss Chard And Lemon

Garlicky Lentil Soup with 

Swiss Chard And Lemon

You’re going to be tempted to eat up the garlicky chard and onion sauté before it goes into the soup. And that’s just fine because it tastes so delicious like that. But if it’s soup you’re after, just taste and then stir the fragrant mix into the lentils. This soup tastes best when it’s not piping hot, but has cooled down a bit and flavors can really shine through. 
*A classic rushta also contains cooked pasta noodles like linguine, which can easily be added to the recipe below.
Ingredients:
1⁄2 cup brown or green whole lentils
1⁄2 teaspoon salt, plus 1⁄2 teaspoon salt
1⁄4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 cups finely diced yellow onion
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3⁄4 teaspoon coriander
4 large garlic cloves, minced
4 cups Swiss chard, cleaned, trimmed, and chopped into 1” pieces 
3⁄4 cup cilantro, coarsely chopped
1 1⁄2 teaspoons flour
3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

Directions:
In a soup pot over high heat, bring lentils, 4 cups water, and 1⁄2 teaspoon of salt to boil. Reduce heat and simmer, covered, just until lentils are tender, about 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a medium sauté pan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onions and season with 1⁄4 teaspoon of salt, the coriander, and pepper. Sauté until very soft and translucent. Add the minced garlic and sauté just until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add the Swiss chard and cilantro and sauté until bright green and tender. Sprinkle with flour and stir to combine, still over the heat.

Add the Swiss chard mixture to the lentils, stir in the lemon juice, and heat through for just a few minutes.

Serve warm, but not piping hot, for best flavor. Garnish with chopped cilantro.