Ingredients:
½ cup olive oil
1 teaspoon sweet paprika
1 teaspoon ground cumin
2 bunches small scallions, cut into ¼-inch pieces (about ¾ cup), ½ cup greens and ¼-½ cup white part, separated
3 cups brown lentils, rinsed
6 cups chicken stock or vegetable stock
3 cloves green garlic, plus some of the green tender stalks, minced
3 cups chard leaves roughly chopped
1 bunch fresh cilantro, leaves and tender stems only, coarsely chopped
freshly ground pepper to taste
1 tablespoon fresh Meyer lemon juice
Sea salt to taste, if desired

Directions:

  1. In a large soup pot, heat the olive oil, paprika, and cumin over low heat for 3-4 minutes. Add the scallion whites. Cook until wilted, about 5 minutes. Add the lentils, stock, and green garlic. Raise heat to high, cover and bring to a boil. Lower the heat to simmer, and cook for 20 minutes or until the lentils are soft, but not mushy (cooking time varies depending on the age of the lentils).
  2. Stir in the scallion greens, chard, cilantro, pepper, sea salt, and lemon juice. Cook for 5-10 minutes, until the chard is cooked through.

Makes 8 cups