Arugula, black lentil and fig soup

Arugula, black lentil and fig soup

3 cups of cooked beluga/black lentils
Dash of liquid smoke
2 cups of vegetable stock
4 dried figs, minced
1 tablespoon of lemon juice
1 tablespoon of minced garlic
Kosher salt to taste (I use about 1/2 teaspoon)
Black pepper to taste (I use about 1 teaspoon)
2 cups of packed baby arugula, minced

Bring everything except arugula to a boil, cover, and simmer for a few minutes. Puree if you want a creamy soup, or pulse blend if you want a little more layered texture (I pulse blend). Add half of the minced arugula and simmer for five minutes. Ladle out and garnish with the remaining arugula. Add an optional tablespoon of evoo for a richer tasting puree.

Lentil and spinach soup with hearts of palm, thin-crust combination pizza

Lentil and spinach soup with hearts of palm (vegetable stock, tomatoes, black pepper, herbs de provence, garlic, nutritional yeast, lemon juice), thin-crust combination pizza (whole wheat flour, sea salt, herbs de provence, canola oil; tomatoes, jalapeno pepper, green pepper, red pepper, black pepper vegan pepperoni (Yves brand), portabello mushrooms, garlic, nutritional yeast).

The wine was Botter's Nero d'Avola.