Simple Lentil Soup

I love the holiday season.

I love the lights, the music, the festivities, the traditions, and the food. I love ALL of the food. The turkey + trimmings, the big Sunday dinner stews, the holiday cocktail parties, and the cookies (ALL. THE. COOKIES.). I believe that all foods fit in a balanced diet (including holiday cookies), but during the holiday season, I definitely like to eat lighter dinners during the week to balance out the sweets and treats of the weekend.

That’s where lentil soup comes in.

It’s packed with veggies, it’s full of flavor, and it’s so easy to throw together.

It’s a weeknight dinner savior.

And it’s delicious.

It starts with a large soup pot set over medium heat.

Pour in some olive oil.

Then dump in some veggies – onion, carrot, and celery. Cook the veggies until soft and tender.

Add in some minced garlic, fresh thyme leaves, salt, and pepper. Stir the seasonings through and cook for an additional minute until the garlic is fragrant.

Now comes the star of the show.

Toss in some rinsed green lentils. Quick tip – make sure you spread your dried lentils out on a baking sheet and pick through them. Most packaged lentils are fine, but it’s good to check just in case! (I found a decent-sized pebble in my package)

Pour in a can of n0 salt-added diced tomatoes.

And pour in some low sodium chicken (or vegetable) broth and some water. Then pop the top on the pot, bring the lentils to a boil, reduce to simmer, and cook for about an hour.

Then dish it up, drizzle with balsamic vinegar glaze (or just some plain ole balsamic vinegar), and dig in!

I love to serve my lentil soup with some garlic toast (because what’s soup without bread?).

So, what’s YOUR favorite holiday weeknight dinner?

Your lentil lovin’ friend,

Catherine

Simple Lentil Soup

 

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Prep time

20 mins

Cook time

1 hour 30 mins

Total time

1 hour 50 mins

 

Simply A (RD) Fact: Lentils are a great source of soluble fiber, which is essential for digestive and heart health!

Serves: 6 servings

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 medium-sized onion, chopped
• 2 medium-sized carrots, diced
• 3 medium stalks of celery, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• Leaves from 2-3 sprigs fresh thyme
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 pound dry green lentils, picked through and rinsed
• 1 can diced tomatoes, no salt-added
• 32oz low-sodium chicken broth
• Water

Instructions

1. In a large soup pot set over medium heat, add in the olive oil.
2. When the oil is hot, add in the onion, carrot, and celery. Cook for 2-3 minutes until tender.
3. Add in the garlic, thyme leaves, salt, and pepper. Cook for an additional 1-2 minutes until garlic is fragrant.
4. Add in the diced tomatoes (juice and all) - stir thoroughly to combine.
5. Add in the lentils. Stir to combine.
6. Pour in the chicken broth and then add enough water to cover the lentils by about an inch. Bring the soup to a boil, reduce to simmer, cover, and cook for an hour to an hour and fifteen minutes until the lentils are tender. Stir the soup occasionally, adding additional water if the liquid level seems to drop.
7. Serve with a drizzle of balsamic glaze and garlic toast! Enjoy!

Nutrition Information

Serving size: 1 serving Calories: 326 calories Fat: 3gm Saturated fat: 0.5gm Carbohydrates: 56gm Sodium: 633mg Fiber: 10gm Protein: 20gm Cholesterol: 0mg

3.5.3226