Add oil to a large pot on medium heat. Once the oil is warm add the chopped onions and saute for 10 minutes, making sure not to burn the onions
¼ cup olive oil, 1 small onion
When onions are soft, add the chopped potato, carrots and celery. Saute for 5 minutes
1 celery rib, 1 medium potato, 2 small carrots
Add the chopped garlic, Italian seasoning, thyme, smoked paprika and cumin and saute for one minute
2 teaspoon Italian seasoning, 1 teaspoon dried thyme, 1 teaspoon cumin, ½ teaspoon smoked paprika, 4 cloves of garlic
Add the can of tomatoes and cook for 5 minutes to get the tinny flavor out of the tomatoes
28 oz can of diced tomatoes
Add the lentils, stirring everything together, then add vegetable broth and bay leaves. Stir well. Cover with a lid and bring soup to a boil. Once it's boiling, turn heat to medium low and keep it on a low simmer, with the lid on
1 bay leaf, 1 cup brown lentils, 6 cups vegetable broth
Simmer for 30-35 minutes, or until lentils are soft. Add a splash of water if needed.
With an immersion blender, blend the soup for 10 seconds to make it a little more creamy. If you don't have an immersion blender, take a cup of the soup out, add it to a blender, then add the blended soup back to the instant pot.
Add the chopped kale and let it sit in the soup for a minute or so or until it's wilted and slightly cooked. Stir in the juice of half a lemon and salt to taste
1 cup chopped kale, ½ lemon