Curried Lentil Soup With Swiss Chard - cooking recipe

Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cups onions, chopped
1 cup carrot, chopped
1 cup celery, chopped
1 cup red bell pepper, chopped
2 large garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons curry powder
1/4 teaspoon cayenne (optional, leave out if you donA A t want it spicy, or use a little more if you like it really hot)
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon minced fresh gingerroot
1 lb red lentil, rinsed and picked over to remove any debris (about 2 1/4 cups)
8 cups water, vegetable stock or 8 cups chicken stock
1 (15 ounce) can coconut milk (stir well before using)
1 teaspoon salt
1 bunch swiss chard, ribs removed and leaves torn into bite-size pieces
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Preparation

Heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the onions, carrots, celery, red pepper, garlic, ginger and spices and saute until the onion softens, about 5 minutes. Add the water or stock along with the salt, lentils and coconut milk, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer until the lentils are cooked through, about 10 minutes.
While the soup is simmering, wash and prep the chard and chop the cilantro. After the lentils have finished cooking, stir the chard and cilantro into the soup - it will look like a lot of chard for the soup at first, but have no fear. The chard will wilt down as it heats up. Keep stirring until the chard is bright green and wilted, about another 2 minutes. Taste and season as needed with more salt or pepper, and serve.