By Katie Bowles
Lentil Vegetable Soup
Prep Time: 20 minutes | Cooking Time: 90 minutes
Michelle K. Berman, nutritionist and dietitian at Nutritional Healing in Vienna, recommends this recipe (adapted from Ina Garten’s “The Barefoot Contessa Book”) as a great way to get fiber. Berman also suggests substituting low-sodium chicken broth or vegetable broth for the chicken stock in order to cut back on sodium, and mentions that a little less tomato paste could be used as well (will vary depending on taste desired). Interested in learning more about the benefits of lentils? Berman directed us to MindBodyGreen’s entry on lentils—check it out here.
Makes 12 servings.
Ingredients
-1 pound French green lentils
-4 cups chopped yellow onions (about 3 large)
-4 cups chopped leeks, white part only (about 2 leeks)
-1 Tablespoon minced garlic (3 cloves)
-1/4 cup olive oil
-1 Tablespoon kosher salt
-1 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
-1 Tablespoon minced fresh thyme or 1 teaspoon dried
-1 teaspoon ground cumin
-3 cups medium-diced celery (8 stalks)
-3 cups medium-diced carrots (4-6)
-3 quarts chicken stock
-1/4 cup tomato paste
-2 Tablespoon red wine vinegar
Preparation
-In a large bowl, cover the lentils with boiling water and allow to sit for 15 min. Drain.
-In a large stock pot on medium heat, sauté the onions, leeks and garlic with the olive oil, salt, pepper, thyme and cumin for 20 minutes, until the vegetables are translucent and very tender.
-Add the celery and carrots and sauté for 10 more minutes.
-Add the chicken stock, tomato paste and lentils. Cover and bring to a boil.
-Reduce heat and simmer uncovered for one hour, until the lentils are cooked through. Check the seasonings.
-Add the red wine vinegar and serve hot, drizzled with olive oil and sprinkled with grated parmesan.
Nutritional Information per serving
-Calories: 285.2
-Total Fat: 7.8 grams
-Cholesterol: 2.5 milligrams
-Sodium: 1,669.2 milligrams (without substitutions)
-Total Carbohydrates: 33.9 grams
-Dietary Fiber: 10.7 grams
-Protein: 21.7 grams
