Black Bean and Lentil Soup with Smoked Paprika

First of all, this was fabulous. Second of all, this was healthy AND fabulous. Third of all, you should make it!!! Saw this soup on Cookin' Canuck and was surprised to see lentils and black beans together--we love both and would have not thought to put them together. What a great idea! I've adapted the recipe somewhat because of my love of all things smoked. It's awesome. Shared it with folks and was asked for the recipe. Definitely going in my permanent rotation. Filling, straight-forward and delicious.

As has been my recent method, I made a double recipe and froze half of the soup--it defrosted beautifully. The smoked paprika is what makes this soup--do not skip it or use regular paprika--the soup will not be the same.

This soup is perfect for a cold day. It's perfect to reheat at work. It's perfect to serve for a casual dinner with grilled cheese sandwiches and fresh fruit. Enjoy!

BLACK BEAN AND LENTIL SOUP WITH SMOKED PAPRIKA
Adapted from www.cookincanuck.com

•   1 Tbsp. olive oil
• 1/2 large onion, chopped
• 2 large stalks celery, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced (I used 3 cloves)
• 2 tsp. smoked paprika
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 (14 oz.) can diced tomatoes (use 'fire-roasted' if you can find them)
• 1 cup dried brown lentils
• 4 3/4 cup low-sodium vegetable or chicken broth, divided
• 3 cups water
• 1 (14 oz.) black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
• Salt and pepper to taste (I used a smoked salt—it was fantastic!)

Heat olive oil in a large sauce pan set over medium heat. Add onions and celery and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are beginning to soften, 6 to 7 minutes.

Add garlic, smoked paprika and bay leaves and saute for 30 seconds.

Stir in diced tomatoes with juices, lentils, 3 cups vegetable or chicken broth and 3 cups water. Increase heat to medium-high and bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat slightly and cook, stirring occasionally, until lentils are tender, 25 to 35 minutes.

Remove from the heat and let cool for about 10 minutes. Remove and discard the bay leaves. 

*Transfer half of the lentil mixture, half of the black beans and 3/4 cup vegetable or chicken broth to the bowl of a blender or food processor. Pulse until combined, but not pureed. It should be a chunky texture. Pour the blender mixture back into the lentils in the saucepan, along with the remaining 1 cup of chicken broth and remaining black beans. 

Stir the soup and reheat over medium heat. Stir in parsley. Season with salt and pepper to taste--seriously, the smoked salt is wonderful in this! (Trader Joe sells smoked sea salt for $3)

Serve with freshly grated Parmesan cheese, if possible. Would probably also be great with fat-free Greek yogurt and sliced green onions. YUM!

*Note: I did NOT take the soup out of the pot—I inserted my stick blender into the soup pot for about 5 seconds or until just a bit of the soup was pureed to give it some creamy feel but still retained the chunky texture. Therefore, I added ALL of the broth into the soup all at once.