Smoked Tea Lentil Soup

Lapsang Souchong is a smoked black tea. I think of it as the scotch of tea. It is intensely smokey and rich and lends an amazing flavor to this hearty lentil soup. I happened to have leeks and swiss chard in the fridge when I made this, but you could substitute onion and spinach. This soup freezes well, so when I make it I make a large batch and freeze it in individual lunch-size portions.

2 TBSP olive oil
1/2 leek, sliced in thirds lengthwise and then cut crosswise to create small pieces (just slicing crosswise to create half moons would create a stringy texture in the soup)
1/4 small onion, finely diced
1 rib celery, finely diced
1 carrot, finely diced
3-4 leaves of swiss chard, stems removed and finely chopped, and leaves finely chopped (optional)
1 TBSP herbs de provance
1 sprig fresh thyme, leaves removed
2-3 cloves of garlic, minced
salt and pepper
1 1/2 cups dry green or brown lentils, rinsed and drained
1 bay leaf
8 cups vegetable broth
1 8oz can diced tomatoes or 4 large roma tomatoes, diced
1 cup strong brewed lapsang souchong tea
1 TBSP sherry vinegar
2 TBSP italian parsley, chopped

View the full recipe at nomappetit →