Lentil Soup

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Not to toot my horn but I just made the best Lentil soup EVER!  It is so flavorful and yummy that it was hard to stop after one bowl – ok, maybe 1 1/2 bowls.  There is a bit of prep time involved – mostly just chopping vegetables but it’s so worth it in the end!  Plus this recipe makes a big batch so you can freeze some of the leftovers and now you have a quick and easy meal for those busy days and nights!

~Sarah

Ingredients:

• 2 cups dry lentils, rinsed
• 8 cups reduced sodium vegetable stock (you can use water but it is not as flavorful)
• 1-2 medium sweet onions (I love onion so I used 2 of them but if you aren’t a big fan then go with just one)
• 2 cups Garnet yams (The Garnet yams are what give this soup such a great flavor.  If you can’t find them at your local store then you can substitute with regular yams – not to be confused with sweet potatoes.)
• 1-2 heaping tbsp minced garlic
• 3-4 medium carrots
• 3-4 celery stalks
• 2 tbsp dried basil
• 2 tbsp dried parsley
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• salt and pepper to taste

Preparation:

1. Start by chopping the carrots, celery, onion and yams.  You will want to keep them all roughly the same size so that they cook evenly.  I left the yams slightly larger to give it a more chunky feel.
   

   Chopped celery, carrots and onions

2. In a large soup pot add olive oil and heat on medium.  Add onions, carrot and celery and season with a pinch of sea salt.
3. Let the vegetables cook for about 10 minutes, stirring once every minute.
   

   Let the vegetables cook for about 10 minutes

4. Add garlic and cook for an additional 3-4 minutes.  Be sure to stir often so that you don’t burn the garlic.
5. Add the vegetable stock and turn heat to high.
6. Add the lentils, yams, basil and parsley.  Bring to a boil then reduce heat to a simmer and cover for an hour.
   

   Bring to a boil then reduce heat to a simmer and cover for an hour

7. The longer you leave your soup simmering the thicker and creamier it will be.  I let mine simmer for about 1 1/2 hours.

Nutritional Info:

Makes 20 servings.

Serving size 1 cup.

Nutrients per serving:  Calories: 130, Cal. from Fat:  15, Total Fat: 2g, Sat. Fat: 0g, Carbs: 23g, Fiber: 5g, Sugars: 3g, Protein: 5.5g, Sodium: 77mg, Chol: 0mg

Notes:

Trust me, the prep work in chopping your veggies are well worth the benefit you get from this nutrition packed soup.  Not only do lentils help lower cholesterol, they are of special benefit in managing blood-sugar disorders since their high fiber content prevents blood sugar levels from rising rapidly after a meal.  Because of the insoluble fiber in lentils they are indigestible and pass quickly through the body virtually intact making calorie absorption nearly impossible which helps with weight loss.  And if that weren’t enough there is a study that was carried out by the Department of Nutrition at Harvard School of Public Health, Boston which has shown that diets high in lentils and peas (which both contain high levels of flavones) have a reduced risk of breast cancer. Plus unlike other store brand soups you get all the deliciousness without the extra sodium.  So move over chicken soup, grab a spoon and dig in!