lentils have been a favorite bean/pea/nut/seed/grain of mine since my mother first poured a box of the 'far east' lentil pilaf into a pot of boiling water. there is something very hearty and belly warming about them, but also very healthy and heart-loving. so to follow up last week's cardiac chicken, i thought i'd give you something your heart would prefer: a good and simple lentil soup. i found this recipe on allrecipes.com. actually, it is the first thing to come up on google if you search 'lentil soup recipe.' and for good reason. it is a great, simple recipe that can take a lot of tweaks. a good note to make here: use french lentils as they do not turn to mush immediately after cooking and also reheat without turning to mush. the red or green lentils will turn your soup into lentil paste. we ate this with some pita bread fried in olive oil and the little bit of left over tzatziki sauce i made the previous day. we did find that this is not that filling for meat eaters, but just slice up some hot italian sausages and toss them into the mix. the pork and sausage spices will match the soup base nicely and give your more carnivorous family members something to keep their bellies full and hopefully, their fingers out of the the snack cabinet.
Ingredients
1 onion, chopped
2 carrots, diced
2 stalks celery, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp dried oregano
1 bay leaf
1 tsp dried basil
1 (15oz) can crushed tomatoes
2 cups french lentils
8 cups of chicken broth
12oz baby spinach
2 tbsp apple cider vinegar (mindy likes Bragg's raw acv)
salt and pepper, to taste
Directions
In a large soup pot, heat some oil over medium heat and cook onions, carrots, and celery until tender. Stir in garlic, bay leaf, oregano, and basil, and cook for an additional 2 minutes.
Stir in lentils, and add chicken broth and tomatoes. Bring to a boil.
Reduce heat and simmer for at least 1 hour.
When ready to serve, stir in spinach and vinegar.
Season with salt and pepper.
(recipe via allrecipes.com)
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