Lentil and Chickpea Soup with Greens (p. 143)

I got chard in my CSA this week and, having never knowingly eaten it before, had no clue what to do with it. Luckily, the index of The New Mediterranean Diet Cookbook helped me right out, and I had almost everything else I needed to make Lentil and Chickpea Soup with Greens.

Soak chickpeas over night to soften them up, and then cover the drained chickpeas with some water and begin to simmer them. Throw in a dried chili pepper and some garlic cloves to give it a little flavor. Once the chickpeas are starting to soften, add lentils and cook until they are cooked (you may need to add a little more boiling water at some point.)

Next stir in coarsely chopped chard and continue cooking until the veggies are soft.

Once the soup is done and everything has cooked thoroughly, add in a mixture of garlic, salt, lemon juice, and olive oil.

This was pretty good. Not my favorite soup ever, but I've had it for two lunches in a row and am still pleased by it.

chickpeas -- $1.79

CSA chard -- $2.75

Total Cost of Lentil and Chickpea Soup with Greens: $4.54