Cream of Black Lentil Soup with Kale and Turnip Chips

I love soup. Lucky for me, no matter what the weather is outside, my family is always excited at the idea of having it for dinner. This one combines some of my favorite ingredients: lentils, Kale and some home-made turnip chips.

Black Lentil Soup with Kale and Turnip chips

for the soup:
1 tablespoon of olive oil
2 cloves of garlic, crushed
1 cup of finely chopped onions
1 cup of finely chopped celery
1 cup of diced carrots
1 tsp of cumin
1/2 tsp ginger powder
2 cups of kale leaves cut into thin strips (julienned)
8 cups of chicken broth (vegetarian broth okay)
2 cups of black lentils, picked over and rinsed
salt to taste
1/2 tablespoon garlic mustard (dijon is fine)
1/4 cup of finely chopped parsley

for the turnips:
2 tablespoons of olive oil
2 or more small turnips, cut into paper-thin slices
salt to taste

In a large size pot warm the olive oil for the soup. Add the garlic, until oil becomes slightly fragrant. Add the onions, celery, and carrots. Saute under medium heat, stirring once in a while, until mixture caramelizes a bit (light brown color) and add the cumin and ginger. Combine with a spatula. Add kale, chicken broth, black lentils. Bring to a boil and simmer covered for 45 minutes to 1 hour. Add 1/2 tablespoon of garlic dijon mustard (plain dijon is fine too). Carefully taste and adjust for salt. Blend the soup with an immersion blender until desired consistency.


In a nonstick pan on medium heat, add 2 tablespoon of olive oil. When oil is ready, add the slices of turnip in batches. Cook each batch until the turnip starts to golden on the edges. Turn them over for a minute or so on the other side. Transfer to a plate lined with paper towel and salt to taste. Those chips add a wonderful flavor to this soup-- You might want to make some extra ones for any leftover soup.

Serve the soup in a bowl and garnish with the turnip chips and some fresh parsley on top.