Tag / Vegetable lentil soup

by susanb181

Easy Vegetable Lentil Soup

Easy Vegetable Lentil Soup

Sorry I haven’t written for a while. I had a total knee replacement and it’s taken a lot of time to recover.

Since now we’re all sheltering in place, The is a perfect recipe to have. It’s easy to make, with versatile ingredients, and makes a lot of food that can cover several meals, or eat some and freeze some.

Also, unlike dried beans of any sort, lentils don’t have to be soaked and cook quite quickly. They are tender in approximately one hour. Lentils are also very nutritious, low in carbs and fat and have lots of fiber.* You can add whatever vegetables you have in your larder, fresh, canned or frozen. We are very lucky to have access to fresh produce at this time, and I hope you do as well.

My thoughts and good wishes for you and your loved ones to stay healthy and stay calm.

INGREDIENTS

  • 16 oz. dried lentils, any type ( green, brown, pink)
  • At least 2cups liquid per cup of lentils—I use chicken or vegetable broth ( or more if the soup is drying out)
  • 1/3 cup dry red or white wine (whatever you’ve got)
  • large can (28 oz) diced tomatoes with juice
  • 3-4 carrots sliced
  • 2-3 celery stalks chopped
  • 1 medium onion, chopped
  • 3-5 cloves garlic, chopped (we love garlic- use less if you don’t )
  • 2-3 Tbsp. Olive oil
  • Salt or Salt free seasoning, and spices such as thyme; to taste
  • any other vegetables you like, such as green beans, zucchini, red or yellow peppers, peas etc. Canned or frozen are fine. (add additional liquid if adding vegetables)
  • optional: sliced cooked sausage or ham

TO DO: (makes a large pot of soup- enough for 6-8 servings)

1. In  a Dutch oven or 6 qt. pot, Sauté onions, celery, carrots in olive oil for 4-6 minutes.

2.Rinse lentils, and remove any that look shriveled or black.

3. Add lentils to pot. Add Tomatoes, liquids and garlic and other seasoning

4. Cook on stovetop for approx. 1hour, tasting for lentil and veggies tenderness

That’s it!

Serve With whole grain or whole wheat bread, and, as we usually have, a crisp green salad with a tart, lemony vinaigrette–see previous Salad posts for the vinaigrette recipe: https://wordpress.com/post/type2delicious.com/1075

Salad posts for the vinaigrette recipe: https://wordpress.com/post/type2delicious.com/1075

Enjoy!

*https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/297638

www.type2delicious.com

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by susanb181

Veggie Lentil Soup

veggie-lentil-soup-ingredients

Fresh, dried and canned ingredients

diabetes-friendly-veggie-lentil-soup-ingredients

Fresh, canned, (we were lucky to be given home-canned tomatoes), and dried ingredients

healthy-veggie-lentil-soup-broth

So good in the pot (added bay leaf)

 

diabetes-friendly-veggie-lentil-soup

Goodness is in the bowl!

A hearty and delicious cool weather meal is this lentil soup, with added veggies, wine and lots of flavour.

Lentils do have higher carbs but they are also are high in protein and fiber. Of course, you can moderate your amounts, depending on your own health situation. For more lentil nutrition info, go to the link marked * at the end of this post.

Some lentil soups are too watery, and some are too thick. This one has the right balance of broth and substance. You can also add other vegetables, and even bacon, but this is how I make it.

I recently made this Soup with red lentils from a brand called “Pereg”— and was disappointed that these lentils never got totally tender, even after a lot of cooking- first one hour, then two subsequent cookings, (I made a large batch so we had leftovers), for 1/2 hr. To 45 minutes each time. Also I added cumin and all spice, so the flavor was interesting. All in all, still good, but next time I’ll stick with green or brown lentils. Have any of you, dear readers, had the same experience?

Veggie Lentil Soup

INGREDIENTS

  • 3/4-1 cup dried brown or green lentils, rinsed.
  • 2-3 cups broth (I use low sodium chicken broth, but vegetable works fine too)
  • 32 oz. can of crushed or chopped plum tomatoes (I use unsalted) or if you have home-canned lucky you
  • 4-5 carrots, in 1/2 ” rounds
  • 2-3 sticks of celery, chopped in 1/2″ pieces, with 2-3 tbsp. chopped green tops
  • 1 large onion, chopped into medium pieces
  • 3-4 Tbsp. Olive oil
  • 1/3 cup dry white wine (your choice, I use whatever we have leftover)
  • 2-4 cloves garlic, chopped fine
  • lemon zest to taste
  • 1 large Bay leaf
  • Optional: 1-2 hot dogs or cooked chicken sausages, chopped into 1/2″ pieces
  • Salt free seasoning/pepper to taste

TO DO:

1. Preheat large saute pan.

2. Add olive oil, chopped onion, celery and carrots. Brown and sauté on medium high heat approx. 10 minutes, until somewhat tender. Add garlic and sauté 2 more minutes, making sure garlic doesn’t burn.

3. Add veggies to a large pot or Dutch oven. Add lentils, and rest of ingredients, except for lemon zest.

4. Bring to a boil, then cover and turn down heat to a slow simmer.

5. Simmer on low for approx. 30-40 minutes

6. Test for tenderness (carrots and lentils especially)

7. Add lemon zest and adjust spices and seasonings to taste.

8. You can also use a hand blender if you like a smoother texture (or remove some of the soup to a blender and add back into the pot)

9. Serve with the always delish green salad, https://type2delicious.com/2014/11/18/salad-with-goat-cheese-pears-and-mustardgarlic-vinaigrette/

And whole grain toast if you like. I also like a dollop of plain Greek yogurt to top off my bowl!

*http://lowcarbdiets.about.com/od/CarbsInGrains/a/Carbs-In-lentils.htm

Enjoy!

www.type2delicious.com