Nothing tastes better than some warm soup on a cold winter day. Soup is also a great way of making sure you get your veggies and it also provides for leftover meals for the next couple of days if you double the recipe.
This is one of my favorite recipes, because it is high in fiber, low fat, and has a great flavor profile. I often choose low sodium or no added salt vegetable broth to reduce the sodium content.
The recipe is courtesy of the Food Network Kitchen.
The Best Lentil Soup
Ingredients
3 Tbsp of olive oil
3 medium carrots, cut into 1/4-inch pieces
1 medium onion
1 large celery stalk- cut into 1/4 pieces
2 Tbsp tomato paste
1 large garlic clove, minced
1 1/2 cup dried brown lentils
4 cups of vegetable stock
7 sprigs thyme, leaves stripped
1 bay leaf
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
1 tsp lemon zest, plus the juice
1/2 cup flat leaf parsley leaves
Directions:
Heat the oil in a large heavy-bottom pot over medium-high heat. Add the carrot, onion, celery and 1 tsp of salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are starting to caramelize and take on a dark brown color, 8 to 10 minutes (this step is important as it will add toms of flavor)
Stir in the tomato paste and garlic and cook, scraping up the brown bits, until the garlic is fragrant and slightly softened, 1 to 2 minutes. Add in the lentils, stocks, 4 cups of water, thyme, bay leaf, oregano, red pepper flakes, lemon zest, 2 tsp salt and a generous amount of black pepper and stir to combine. Bring to a boil then reduce the heat to low. Cover and cook until the lentils are softened with just a bit of bite, 25 to 30 minutes.
Remove the bay leaf. Puree 2 1/2 cups of the soup in a blend until smooth then stir back into the pot. Stir int he lemon juice and parsley. Ladle into bowl and garnish with more parsley.
Nutritionals: Calories: 263 calories, total fat: 8gm, saturated fat 1gm, carbohydrates: 38gm, dietary fiber: 7gm, sugar 4gm, protein 13gm, cholesterol 0gm, sodium 648mg
Comments