I love lentils. I have several different lentil soup recipes that I love. This is one of my favorites. It’s colorful, flavorful and hearty. Plus, it’s easy to make as well.

Ingredients:

4 med carrots, sliced
1 med onion, chopped
1 cup dried lentils, rinsed and drained*
4 cups vegetable broth
1 can fire-roasted diced tomatoes
1 tbsp red wine vinegar
1 tbsp brown sugar
2 tsp dried parsley flakes
1 tsp salt
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1/4 tsp dill weed
1/4 tsp tarragon
1/4 tsp pepper
1 to 2 cups spinach, torn

Directions:

Place carrots, onions, lentils and broth in a dutch oven or stock pot. Bring to a boil. Reduce and simmer 20 to 25 minutes until lentils are tender. Add remaining ingredients, except for spinach, and return to a boil. Add spinach. Reduce heat. Simmer uncovered for 5 to 10 minutes for flavors to meld and spinach to wilt. Season with additional salt, pepper and vinegar to taste.

For a nice extra punch, try exchanging the spinach with kale. Just remove tough stems and chop into strips. For the meat eaters in your family, you can toss in a bit of cooked smoked sausage. Serve with a little flat bread and you have a complete meal.

*For more tender lentil soup, lentils may be soaked overnight before cooking.

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© Copyright 2011. Michaela C. Jones. Please do not copy, repost or reprint without permission.

This is another recipe I shared at Thriving With Celiac for using up leftover Thanksgiving turkey. Soup is so comforting this time of year. Plus, this recipe is so easy. If you don’t have any turkey, try rotisserie chicken in this dish. It’s just as yummy and can be made any time of the year. Want to do an all veggie version? Omit meat and add a can of drained, rinsed, cannellini beans. Yum.

Ingredients:

1 medium onion, chopped
2 medium carrots, diced
2 stalks celery, thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp italian seasoning
1/2 tsp sea salt
4 cups chicken or vegetable broth
2 cups cooked turkey or chicken, chopped or shredded
1 cup frozen green beans, thawed and drained, or fresh cleaned and cut small
1/2 cup uncooked brown rice macaroni*

Method:

Sauté  onion, carrots, celery and garlic in dutch oven or large pot, stirring occasionally. When onion begins to turn translucent, sprinkle vegetables with seasoning and salt. Continue to cook until onion is soft and carrots and celery are crisp-tender. Add remaining ingredients. Heat to boiling. Reduce heat. Cover and simmer 15 to 20 minutes until macaroni is tender, stirring occasionally.

*Note: I love Tinkyada Pasta Joy pasta for this recipe. It cooks up well without turning mushy.

Get printer-friendly version here.

© Copyright 2011. Michaela C. Jones. Please do not copy, repost or reprint without permission.