Everyday Creamy Lentils with Mushrooms and Kale

“What I love about cooking is that after a hard day, there is something comforting about the fact that if you melt butter and add flour and then hot stock, it will get thick!  It’s a sure thing!

It’s a sure thing in a world where nothing is sure; it has a mathematical certainty in a world where those of us who long for some kind of certainty are forced to settle for crossword puzzles.”   ~ Nora Ephron | Heartburn

Photo Credit – Pinterest – “I will call him George, and I will love him and pet him and squeeze him and squeeze him.”

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We're in the middle of winter in our pocket of the world.  It's been on the mild side, so there haven't yet been snow people in scarves dotting the neighborhood.  Although, as I drive through campus, everybody's still all bundled up, and their funny hats often make me smile.

Lately, the days have been London-fog grey, and I've been doing everything I can to fight the winter blahs.  Trips to the co-op for pretty fruit to make salads have helped, but honestly, I've been reaching for my soup pot more often than not.  It's comforting.  Just a bowl and a spoon.  No stabbing bits of lettuce or cutting with a knife;

just simple eating

Right around the beginning of the year, my husband was traveling more than usual, and most nights, I found myself foraging for dinner and wishing I'd taken the time to stop by the grocery.  Our usually well-stocked fridge was looking a bit naked, and after a stent of tidying-up, the cabinets weren't faring any better.

Digging deep into the pantry, I brushed past the jars of beans and rice, along with the random spices we're keeping around for “just the right recipe.”  I reached for the french lentils, a purchase from our local ethnic grocery one fall afternoon, while Sally and I were out for our walk.

Tonight, lentil soup

Luckily we'd hosted a dinner party the weekend prior, a few stalks of kale were still in the crisper, along with a partial container of mushrooms

While the dark green lentils danced in the simmering stock, I busied myself elsewhere, discarding the contents of several containers of left-overs from said party.  Clearing out even more space in our already barren fridge.

I slowly sip a glass of bubbly while hunting for the rest of the ingredients.  The kitchen is a place of solace for me, somewhere to be creative, to give to others, to appreciate the small things, to refresh, or be pointed towards something in myself that I haven't taken the time to recognize

The onions and mushrooms sizzle and glisten at the buttery bottom of the pot.  The familiar smell of garlic after it's been toasted just so.  I pet the kitty cat who's come to visit, after a few sniffs, she turns on her heels and heads off in search of a napping spot

With every addition of stock, dinner, as I envisioned, is starting to take shape.  Now let's see, “I think I stashed a few pieces of homemade bread?  Yes, right here, in the back of the freezer.”

The creamy lentils simmer idly while I find myself distracted for a bit with work.  When I finally bring a bowl with me into my office, I'm not certain if I'm still hungry, and slowly nibble as the night wears on.

At first taste, I wondered aloud if the spices didn't marry, but after a bit of sitting in their own goodness, my mouth was filled with warmth, flavor, and lentils just tender to the tooth.  My bowl garnished with some shaved parmesan because I'm a sucker for a hint of garnish

The recipe makes a moderate portion of soup, which is perfect for a household of two.  Not only because it's better the next day, but it won't be staring at you two or three days from now.

Whether you find yourself home alone in January starting into a naked fridge, or in shorts and flip-flops somewhere warm and sunny

creamy lentils are never a bad idea

A few notes about the recipe

 I'd encourage you to think of these lentils in broad strokes.  There are dozens of ways to make subtle changes to the recipe, depending on what you have on hand

A few thoughts around why I like this soup nutritionally (I know this is where many of you nod off).  In addition to a nice amount of vegetable-based protein in this soup (from the lentils), the recipe also incorporates a touch of dairy, vitamin-rich greens, veggies, and good fats.

A fried egg on top will often hit the spot.  As will a 1/4 of a ripe avocado, cut into a small dice and sprinkled across the top. With a bit of whole-grain toast (or croutons) rubbed with garlic, a dusting of parmesan, the whole thing comes together

You can use either green lentils or green split peas here.  Both are delicious, but the green split peas will lend a brighter green color to the soup

Enjoy!

xoxo

~ Adapted from Date Night In by Ashley Rodriguez