Lovely Lentils – Soup’s On

The sun is shining, tulips are blooming, skies are blue.  But there is still a chill in the air.

So even though I tend to move away from soups and stews as Springtime rolls into town, I have been craving red lentil soup.

A big bag of Bob’s Red Mill Red Lentils has been staring back at me for the past couple of months.

Before I get to my veggie and lentil extravaganza recipe, let’s just take a quick look at the healthy goodness that lentils have to offer:

Low in fat
High in fiber
High in iron
High in protein 
High in two-B vitamins
All of this for  few calories

Time to break out the lentils, veggies, and soup pot!

This is such an easy and tasty recipe.  It was a hit…my sister-in-law sent me this picture today:

Even this little guy enjoyed the soup!

Nephew John - at 7 months old - enjoying squash!

Red Lentil Veggie Soup

Ingredients
1 onion, chopped
2-4 carrots, peeled and chopped
1 head of broccoli, chopped
1 14.5 oz can of chopped tomatoes
2 cups dried red lentils
6 cups of water
2 cups of broth (I used veggie broth)
Juice of 1-2 lemons
Seasonings (I used Penzeys Singapore Seasoning – lots)
3-4 handfulls of spinach

Process
*Heat soup pot and spray with non-stick spray.
*Saute onion until brown, add carrots and broccoli and brown.
*Add lentils, tomatoes, water, broth, lemon juice, seasonings.
*Bring to a boil and then turn down heat and let simmer for 45 min-1 hour.
*Add more seasoning if needed.
*Add spinach and stir in so it wilts.
*Take off the heat and let cool.
*Blend with a stick blender or in a blender.
*Enjoy!

Red Lentil Veggie Soup

This is not the prettiest soup but is a great way to pack in loads of veggies and heart-healthy lentils!

What’s cooking in your kitchen today?