Black lentil, sweet potato and carrot soup

I love green lentils, and use red ones a lot too, but once you try the black variety I think you'll never look back. Black lentils soften quite quickly, but remain intact after cooking, dotting this satisfying, nutritious soup with dark contrasting-colored bits of delicious beauty.

Ingredients:

• 2 sweet onions
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 5 carrots, cut into large cubes
• 2-3 sweet potatoes, cut into large cubes
• 1 tablespoon paprika
• dash of cayenne pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon tumeric
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 6 cups water
• 2 tablespoons miso paste (I prefer the white mellow)
• 1 cup washed black lentils
• 2 cups spinach leaves, chopped
• ½ cup dill, finely chopped
• Garnish: fresh dill or cilantro, chopped

Preparation:

• In a large pot, on medium-high heat, sauté the onions in olive oil until soft and golden. Add the carrots, sweet potatoes, paprika, cayenne pepper, turmeric, salt and pepper, and sauté for about 15 minutes, until sweet potatoes are quite soft. Add a little water if the the pot seems too dry
• Add the water, bring to a boil, simmer until the vegetables are soft but still tender
• Remove from heat, add the miso paste to the pot, and with an immersion blender process until smooth
• Wash the lentils in a sieve with plenty of cold water. Add to the pot, bring to a boil, lower to a simmer, and cook about 20-30 minutes, until the lentils are soft, turn off heat
• Add the spinach and the dill (heat's already off, but the soup is still very hot, so spinach will wilt nicely)
• Taste and correct seasoning.
• Garnish with a spinkle of herbs and serve with a nice loaf of bread. 

Enjoy!

Dr. Ayala