Holidays are a season of indulgence, this healthy soup offsets some of that excess with ingredients like coconut milk, tomatoes and lentils. This is a simple soup that has a lot to offer: one, it's darn good looking with it's reddish, golden hue, two, it is easy to create from items you probably already have in your pantry, three, it has complex flavors with curry, smoked paprika and fire roasted tomatoes so your taste buds are satisfied too. I hope you make this soup a part of your holiday recovery tradition.

Tomato & Red Lentil Soup

Adapted from December 2017 issue of Bon Appetit

2 T olive oil
1 medium onion finely chopped, about 3/4 of a cup
1 medium shallot sliced, about 1 Tablespoon
2 tsp curry powder
1/2 tsp smoked paprika
2/3 c red lentils
1 14.5 oz. can of diced fire roasted tomatoes
1 c Swiss chard greens, thinly sliced, dice the stems
1 13.5 oz. can of coconut milk, unsweetened

Heat oil in a medium sized saucepan over medium heat, add onions an cook 8-10 minutes. Once the onions and chard stems have softened and the onions are golden brown, add the sliced shallot, curry powder and smoked paprika and cook until fragrant about 2 minutes, then add lentils and cook another 1 minute. Add tomatoes, 2 1/2 c water, coconut milk and a 1/2 tsp salt, bring to a boil. Turn down to a simmer and cook an additional 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add Swiss chard leaves and cook an additional 5 minutes. Can be stored in the fridge up to 3 days.