HUGH ACHESON’S LENTIL SOUP WITH RED RUSSIAN KALE AND SOUR CREAM

Acheson loves lentils and shares this recipe from his book “The Chef and the Slow Cooker.” (Clarkson Potter, 2017, $26.99) “They cook quickly, are incredibly nutritious, are very inexpensive, and have a culinary dexterity about them, ”he says. “This soup is a classic in the lentil tome. I like the green lentils in this as they keep their shape and make for a nice broth-y soup. You could use puy lentils, the small dark green lentil of France, or even black beluga lentils, but I would avoid Indian dal lentils as they tend to break down too much for a soup like this. This is a soup that you want in your fridge. Matched with a piece of toasted baguette, you have a fine meal. Lentil soup is about a 4:1 ratio of liquid to lentils, but you can make it as broth-y as you wish.”

8 cups vegetable stock 2 tablespoons extravirgin olive oil 2 shallots, minced

1 cup finely diced carrot 1 cup finely diced celery 2 sprigs of fresh thyme 1 tablespoon smoked paprika

1 tablespoon freshly

ground coriander 1 pound green lentils Kosher salt

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

4 cups chopped, stemmed Red Russian Kale (pieces cut to be ½-inch squares) 1 teaspoon lemon zest 1 tablespoon sherry vinegar

Sour cream, for serving Chopped flat-leaf parsley, for serving Preheat a slow cooker on high for at least 15 minutes.

In a large pot, warm the stock over medium-low heat so when you add it to the slow cooker it will be hot.

Place a large frying pan on the stove over medium heat. Add the olive oil and when it shimmers add the shallots and cook for 2 minutes. Add the carrot and celery and cook for 2 more minutes. Add the sprigs of thyme, smoked paprika and coriander. Stir well and place this all into a slow cooker set on high heat.

Rinse the lentils in a fine mesh colander under cold water. Add them to the slow cooker and then add the hot stock. Add 2 teaspoons of the salt and cook for 3 hours on high heat.

Remove 1 cup of the soup with a ladle and puree it in a blender (alternately take a hand blender and quickly buzz the soup a bit to make it a little smoother and bring it all together). Place a large skillet over medium-high heat and add the butter.

When the butter bubbles and froths, add the kale and cook, stirring, for about 2 minutes. Season the kale with a pinch of salt and add it to the soup. Add the lemon zest and sherry vinegar to the soup and season, liberally, or to taste with salt.

Soup is done! Chill it down, pack it up, and save it for later eating or bowl it up and eat it immediately. To serve, garnish each bowl with a dollop of sour cream and a sprinkle of parsley. Makes: 3 quarts.

Per 1-cup serving: 293 calories (percent of calories from fat, 22), 16 grams protein, 44 grams carbohydrates, 15 grams fiber, 7 grams fat (2 grams saturated), 7 milligrams cholesterol, 572 milligrams sodium.