This ginger- and licorice-flavored soup chock-full of greens is a gratifying supper any time of year.

　　

Ingredients

serves 4, yields 6 cups

　　1 1/4 cups red lentils

　　1 teaspoon salt

　　2 tablespoons vegetable oil

　　1 1/2 teaspoons black mustard seeds (optional)

　　1 1/2 teaspoons anise or fennel seeds

　　1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes

　　1 teaspoon ground ginger, or 2 tablespoons grated peeled ginger root

　　1 garlic clove, pressed or minced

　　4 cups rinsed, drained, and chopped fresh mustard greens, Swiss chard, or spinach

　　1/2 teaspoon salt

　　3/4 cup coconut milk

　　

Step 1

Rinse the lentils and drain. In a soup pot, bring 5 cups of water, the lentils, and salt to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer, cover, and cook until tender, about 30 minutes.

　　

Step 2

While the lentils cook, warm the oil in a saucepan on medium heat, add the black mustard seeds, and cover until they pop. Stir in the anise, red pepper flakes, ginger, and garlic and cook for a minute, stirring constantly. Add the greens and the salt and cook, stirring frequently, until the greens are just wilted. Stir in the coconut milk and simmer for a minute. Remove from the heat.

　　

Step 3

When the lentils are soft, stir in the greens and coconut milk mixture and add salt to taste.

　　

Serving & menu ideas

Step 4

A Greek Salad (page 211) or baby greens dressed with Caesar Dressing (page 220) would be welcome beside a bowl of this soup.

　　From Moosewood Restaurant Simple Suppers: Fresh Ideas for the Weeknight Table. Copyright © 2017 by Moosewood Collective. Published by Clarkson Potter, an imprint of Penguin Random House, LLC. Buy the full book from ThriftBooks or Amazon.