This soup is possibly my favorite of all time. It’s loaded with veggies, crammed with flavor, and has all the nutrients you need in one delicious bowl. The herb blend is earthy and warming, and the combination of lentils, sweet potatoes, and spinach makes for such a satisfying meal. Even if you are a carnivore, you will not miss the meat.

I’ve adapted this recipe from the Garland’s Lodge in Sedona, Arizona. Their cookbook is one of my most beloved. I’m pretty sure I’ve made every recipe in the book, but this soup (with a few of my own tweaks) is the one I return to most often. It’s hearty and healthy and perfect for a cold winter’s night.

Ingredients:

• 1 TBS. olive oil

• 1 medium yellow onion, diced

• 3 medium carrots, trimmed, peeled, and sliced

• 3 stalks of celery, trimmed and sliced

• 2 cloves of garlic, peeled and minced

• 1 tsp. kosher salt

• 1 tsp. each thyme, sage, marjoram, and coriander

• 1/2 tsp. fennel seed

• Pepper to taste

• 1 1/2 cups green lentils, rinsed

• 8 cups stock (chicken or vegetable)

• 15 oz. can chopped tomatoes

• 2 medium sweet potatoes (about 3 healthy cups), cut into 1in cubes

• 2 heaping cups baby spinach, roughly chopped

• 1 TBS. cider vinegar

Method:

1. Heat the olive oil in a large dutch oven or soup pot over a medium flame. Once the oil is hot, add the onion, celery, carrots, and salt. Stir and reduce the flame to medium low. Cover the pot and allow it to sweat for 5 minutes.

2. Add the garlic, thyme, sage, marjoram, coriander, and fennel. Stir and cook for one minute more. Add the tomatoes, lentils, and stock and stir. Increase the heat to medium high and bring the soup to a boil. Once boiling, reduce the heat and simmer for 15-20 minutes.

3. Add the sweet potatoes and cook for an additional 20 minutes or until the potatoes are tender. Add the spinach and stir. Cook for 1-2 more minutes to wilt the spinach. Add the vinegar, stir, and adjust seasonings as desired.

Recipe adapted from Sharing the Table at the Garland’s Lodge