POND SCUM SOUP

Serves 12

4 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons butter

1 large onion, chopped

4 ribs celery, sliced

4 carrots, peeled and sliced

8 cloves garlic, minced

28 ounce can diced tomatoes

12 cups chicken or vegetable broth

¾ cup dried lentils

¾ cup dried split peas

¾ cup barley

14 ounce can garbanzo beans

14 ounce can kidney beans

1 pound mixed greens or spinach

Salt and pepper to taste

1. Heat the oil and butter in a very large stock pot. Add the onion, celery and carrots and cook over low heat for 15 minutes.

2. Add the garlic and tomatoes, and cook another 5 minutes. Add the broth, split peas, barley and lentils and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer for 40 minutes.

3. Add the canned beans, spinach and salt and pepper to taste. Heat until warmed through and the spinach has reached appropriately scum-like conditions.

— Recipe from Linda Moreno, Spun Sugar, Berkeley

Per serving: 310 calories, 18 g protein, 42 g carbohydrates, 9 g total fat, 2.5 g saturated fat, 5 mg cholesterol, 1270 mg sodium, 13 g fiber, 7 g sugar. Calories from fat: 80.