This recipe from the venerated James Beard reminds me so much of the one my Syrian mom made. But it uses Swiss chard instead of spinach. Mama would have served this with rice. Yes, that seems like a lot of lemon juice, and you can cut it back, but it’s so delicious.
Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups lentils 2 1/2 pounds Swiss chard (add kale or other greens to make up the quantity) 1/2 cup olive oil 3 to 4 garlic cloves Kosher salt 3/4 cup chopped yellow onion 1/2 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice 1 teaspoon all-purpose flour
Preparation:
Put the lentils in a large saucepan, cover with cold water, and simmer, covered, until tender—between 30 and 45 minutes, depending upon their age; taste to see when done. While the lentils are cooking, wash and chop the greens.
When the lentils are gender, add the greens. You may want to add a little more water, too. Depends on whether you’re thinking “soup” or “stew.”
Also while the lentils are cooking, heat the oil in a skillet. Crush the garlic with 1/2 teaspoon salt. Sauté the onion and garlic until soft, then add to the lentils. Mix the lemon juice and flour and stir into the soup. Simmer, stirring, until the soup thickens slightly. Taste and correct seasoning. And serve with cornbread!