Curried Lentil Quinoa Soup

This hearty soup makes a perfect meal with a bit of crusty bread, especially when you've come in from taking a brisk walk with the sunshine glistening off the snow.  Even in the dead of winter, the vegetables in this soup are easy to find and relatively inexpensive. 

1 t extra virgin olive oil

½ red bell pepper, chopped
1 stalk celery, chopped
1 medium carrot, chopped

1 medium sweet potato, cubed
1 onion, chopped
1 or 2 cloves garlic, minced

6 c vegetable broth plus more if needed

2 c lentils, rinsed
1 t paprika
1 t madras curry powder
1/2 t turmeric
1/8 t cumin powder
1 t ground black pepper
2 c shredded kale
1/3 c uncooked quinoa

Yogurt for garnish

Put olive oil in a large pot and sauté bell peppers, celery, carrots, sweet potato, onion and garlic until onions are translucent.  Add the vegetable broth and bring to boil.  Add lentils and cook until tender approximately 30 to 45 minutes.  Add the paprika, curry powder, turmeric, cumin and black pepper.  Stir in the quinoa and kale and continue simmering until the quinoa is tender (approximately 15 minutes) adding more broth if soup gets too thick.  Serve each bowl of soup with a dollop of yogurt.