The stems and leaves of Swiss chard do not cook in the same amount of time: the stems are thick and fibrous, while the leaves wilt in a few minutes. Separate them and add the stems first. Green lentils give the soup body and stay whole rather than breaking down like red lentils. Add the lemon after taking the pot off the heat.
Rinse the green lentils, add them to a pot with 2 liters water, and bring to a boil. Skim off the foam and simmer for 25 minutes. The lentils should have a slight bite but be tender inside. Add the salt at the end of this step.
Separate the white Swiss chard stems from the leaves. Cut the stems into 1 cm pieces and the leaves into wide strips. Wash thoroughly in plenty of water and drain.
Heat half the olive oil in a separate skillet and cook the finely chopped onion until translucent. Add the crushed garlic during the last 30 seconds, then transfer everything to the pot.
Add the stems first and cook for 8 minutes, then stir in the leaves and boil for 5 more minutes. Turn off the heat when the leaves turn dark green.
Drizzle in the lemon juice and remaining olive oil and stir once.
You do not need to soak the green lentils in advance, but add the salt at the end of cooking. Salt added earlier can toughen the lentil skins and keep the centers from softening.
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