Millet, spinach and Puy lentil soup + Cabbage and bean soup

Just wanted to share a couple of soup recipes that have worked out really well. Both recipes are for approx. 4 people:

Millet, spinach and Puy lentil soup:
1/2 cup millet
1 cup dry Puy lentils (or any other lentil that holds it shape well after cooking)
1 large onion, or 2 small
1 large red bell pepper, or 2 small
4-6 cloves of garlic
1 teaspoon cumin
3 cups water
1 cup apple juice
2 vegetable stock cubes
250 grams fresh spinach (not baby spinach)

Dice the onion and bell pepper, and finely chop the garlic. Sauté in some oil, add cumin, water, apple juice and stock (dissolve the first stock cube, add more to taste). While bringing the liquid to a boil, rinse the millet in a sieve under the tap, with warm water first, then cold. Add to the soup to simmer for 15 minutes. At the same time, cook the lentils in a different pot (I like to do this because the lentils give the water an unappetizing dark green-brown colour) until nearly ready, about 15 minutes (depends on the lentils used). Drain and rinse the lentils and add to the soup. Rinse and chop the spinach leaves and add to soup. Simmer for about 10 minutes. Add more water if necessary. Voila!

If you like, different spices can be added instead of or alongside the cumin, like ginger powder, cardamom and chili.


Cabbage and bean soup:
200 grams dry white or pinto beans (or a mix)
1 large onion, or 2 small
6 cloves of garlic
1 large carrot
1 large red bell pepper
2 stalks celery
500-600 grams cabbage (about half of a small head)
2 cubes vegetable stock
4 cups water

Soak the beans overnight or for at least six hours. Leave to cook, for about 45 minutes, while the rest ot the soup is prepared. Cut the onions in half and slice them. Finely chop the garlic. Half the carrot, chop it and chop the celery. Dice or slice the bell pepper. Sauté the vegetables in a large soup pot. Add water and stock cubes. While bringing to a boil, wash the cabbage, cut out the stem and chop in slices. Add to the soup along with cooked beans and let simmer for about 15 minutes. Add more water if necessary.