Step 1

Warm the oil in a large stock pot. Sauté the onions and carrots for about 5 minutes, or until onions are slightly translucent. Add the garlic, tomato paste, salt*, black pepper, turmeric, and crushed red pepper flakes and cook about 1 minute.

Step 2

Add the lentils, canned tomatoes, vegetable broth, and lemon zest and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer immediately and cook for about 20-25 minutes, or until lentils are tender.

Step 3

Once lentils are at least 90% tender, stir in the kale and the lemon juice and cook just until kale is wilted and lentils are cooked to your liking. Serve immediately!

Step 4

Optional Blanch:If you would like your greens to stay bright and vibrant, you can quickly blanch them before adding them to the soup. To do this, fill a big bowl with ice and 1-2 cups water. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Drop the greens into the boiling water and let cook for about 5-30 seconds, then quickly strain / scoop out and place in the bowl of ice water. Stir until greens are cool, then immediately remove and drain before adding to recipe.