Tomato Soup with Swiss Chard and Lentils

This is a lovely rich, thick and warming soup. The spices can be adjusted to your own taste so if you like things hot and spicy add more hot paprika.

The tomatoes can also be of your choice, use either tinned tomatoes or fresh tomatoes and tomato puree, I used the fresh tomatoes and tomato puree.

We also grow our own Swiss chard in the garden it is similar to spinach,  at this time of the year is just starting to sprout again,  fresh spinach will be fine too and at a push you could use frozen or tinned spinach or another dark green leaf cabbage chopped finely, steamed and added when cooked and the end.

You will need the following:

1 Onion chopped
2 Garlic cloves crushed
2 Tablespoons of  olive oil
2 Fresh tomatoes chopped and 4 tablespoons of tomato puree
or
1 Tin of tomatoes chopped (the juice added to the stock)
4oz  Red lentils
4 oz  Swiss chard chopped (spinach will do also)
1 teaspoon  Paprika (hot or mild)
1 3/4 pints Stock (There is a recipe to make your own but cubes will do also)
1 teaspoon of Cumin (if you can grind it down from seeds  it will have a better flavour)
Salt and Pepper

To make the soup

Saute the onion in the oil for a couple of minutes until it’s transparent

Add the garlic

Add the paprika and cumin

Add the tomatoes and lentils

Add the stock

Add the salt and pepper to taste

Bring to a simmer and leave until lentils have cooked (about 1/2 hour)

Add the chopped swiss chard

Simmer until the chard has wilted.