Sophie's Mushroom French Lentil Soup

Clearly the delicious combination of mushrooms and French Lentils gets us every time. Our friend Sophie, who is the creator behind the beautiful blog Wholehearted Eats, generously shared this recipe with us just in time for some Family Day gatherings.

Sophie's Mushroom French Lentil Soup
1 cup Flourist French Lentils
1 tbsp. good olive oil 
1 large onion, chopped, about 1 heaping cup 
1 leek, (whites only) washed and chopped
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 1/2 tsp. dried thyme
1 tsp. dried basil
1 tsp ground cumin
2 stalks celery, chopped
2 medium carrots, chopped
1 cup peeled and chopped potatoes
2 1/2 cups button mushrooms (halved, then sliced thinly)
1 cup diced tomatoes  
5-6 cups veggie stock
1 bunch kale, shredded
salt and pepper to taste

Begin by cooking the lentils in plenty of cold water to cover until soft, about 25 minutes, then drain and set aside. Next, heat the olive oil in a pot, add the onion and leek and sauté until they start to become tender. Add the garlic, thyme, basil, cumin, celery and carrots and let cook for other few minutes until they just begin to soften.

Next add the potatoes, mushrooms, and stock. Let this mixture come to a boil, then simmer, covered, until the veggies are tender, about 20-25 minutes. Stir in the cooked lentils to let them warm up before adding the kale and salt and pepper. Cook until the kale is just wilted, about 2-3 minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.