THE LENTILS:
1 cup French green lentils
1 medium piece kombu seaweed

Soak the lentils eight hours or overnight in filtered water. At the end of soaking time, drain and rinse the lentils. Cut the kombu into 1/2-inch pieces and place them into a cooking pot. Add the lentils and cover with filtered water. Bring the lentils to a soft boil, skimming any foam that arises during the cooking. Cook until the water has cooked to the level of the lentils, or slightly below, stirring occasionally. When the water level is low, add another cup or two of water and continue cooking. In all, the cooking time is 35-45 minutes. Add 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon of sea salt at the end of cooking time.

THE VEGETABLE STOCK:
14 grams He Shou Wu plus 6 grams Bai Shao secured in a wire mesh strainer and set into a cooking pot are covered with 8 cups filtered water and brought to a simmer. Prepare the vegetables below, saving the ends and clean peelings to be added to this pot of water and herbs to create your vegetable stock for the soup. Bring the water with the herbs and vegetable pieces to a soft boil and cover. Cook for at least 30 minutes.

THE SOUP:
1 Medium onion, chopped small
2 stalks celery, sliced
1 burdock root, sliced thinly on the diagonal
2-3 cloves garlic, sliced
1 small piece of ginger root, peeled and cut in half
1 tablespoon olive oil
3 small shitake mushrooms, soaked and then sliced thinly
1 small handful dandelion greens, washed and the green part only, sliced or chopped
1/4 teaspoon each: fennel, corriander
1 sprig fresh lavender leaves
1/2 to 1 teaspoon sea salt

In a soup pot warm the olive oil. Add the onion and cook 1 minute, then add the celery and cook 5 minutes on medium heat, stirring often. Add the sliced burdock and the shitake mushrooms and cook another 5 or so minutes. Add half of the salt and all of the fennel and corriander. Stir to mix. Add the lentils and stir again. Strain the vegetable liquid into the soup pot (discard the ends and pieces and the herbs used for the stock). Cook the soup for approxiamately 20 minutes, then add the sliced garlic, the ginger pieces and the fresh lavender sprig and cook 20 to 30 minutes more. Adjust the salt. Remove the ginger pieces and the lavender sprig, and discard them. Add the dandelion greens and serve, or turn off the heat and let cool for later use. Enjoy often!