Lentil, Coconut and Wilted Spinach Soup

Can you believe it...another lentil soup. Now this particular one calls for the Puy lentil, which was originally grown in France and when cooked holds it's firmness very well, unlike some of the other lentils available. For this dish I used Organic brown lentils from the local Farmer's Market. The coconut milk and ground cumin give this soup a smoky and exotic flavor, very nice. This recipe is adapted from the "New Vegetarian" by Cecila Brooks Brown.

Ingredients:

2/3 cup lentils
4 cups vegetable stock
1 onion, chopped
2 large cloves garlic
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 cup canned coconut milk
2-3 tablespoons dark soy sauce
4 handfuls of baby spinach, about 2 cups
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

To prepare:

Rinse the lentils, then put in a large saucepan and add enough cold water just to cover. Boil for 10 minutes, then add the remaining ingredients, except for the spinach. Reduce the heat and simmer for 20-30 minutes or until the lentils are tender.

Just before serving add spinach. The heat from the soup will wilt the greens. Serve with grilled ciabatta rubbed with garlic and drizzled with olive oil.