Syrian Lentil Soup with Swiss Chard
- 2 cups green lentils
- 3 large yellow Yukon potatoes (other types of potatoes are fine as well. I’ve made this soup with red potatoes, russet, and yellow; the yellow potatoes hold up the best and have the nicest texture, but all are delicious)
- 1 medium zucchini, diced
- 1 yellow summer squash, diced
- 1 bunch Swiss chard, chopped, including stems
- 8 cups water
- 3 Tb olive oil
- 1 entire head of garlic, peeled and sliced
- 2 tsp salt
- ½ tsp ground pepper
- 2 Tb dried mint
- juice of 2 lemons
Pick through your dried lentils to remove any small rocks or pieces of grain, and rinse thoroughly in cold water.
In a large soup pot, add the water, the lentils, zucchini, yellow squash and chard. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer and let it cook until the lentils are tender, about 20 minutes or so.
While the soup is simmering, sauté the garlic in the olive oil in a small pan over medium heat until all of the pieces are golden and crispy.
Add the mint and salt and pepper to the soup, stir, and let sit for a few minutes. Stir in the garlic along with the olive oil it cooked in, and the lemon juice. Let sit for a few minutes. Adjust salt and pepper to taste and serve.
This soup keeps well and gets better the longer it sits so it’s a great make-ahead recipe.
