Recipe: Lentil Soup

Warm and comforting--meal in a bowl.

Food Weight: 2.0 for ~ 1 ¼ cups soup

INGREDIENTS:

Yield: 12 servings (serving size: 1/12^th of recipe, 258 grams or ~ 1 ¼ cups soup)

·         1 package (16 ounces) French green lentils

·         2 teaspoons sea salt

·         1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

·         1 bay leaf

·         2 stalks celery, chopped

·         1 cup chopped onion

·         2 carrots, chopped

·         2 garlic cloves, mashed

·         2 plum tomatoes, chopped

·         1 carton (26 ounces) Parmalat chopped tomatoes

·         2 cups chopped kale, stems removed

·         3 cans (14 ounces each) reduced sodium chicken broth

·         ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

·         Fresh parsley, for garnish, optional

·         Parmesan cheese, for garnish, optional
 

DIRECTIONS:

Wash lentils and place in a large soup pot. Cover lentils with water and add 1 teaspoon sea salt. Bring to a boil and cook for 5 minutes. Drain and rinse lentils and set aside. Heat olive oil in soup pot with bay leaf over medium heat. Add in celery, onions, carrots, and garlic and cook for five minutes, stirring occasionally. Add in kale and cook until wilted (approximately 5 minutes) then stir in tomatoes. Add in chicken broth, remaining salt, and lentils to pot. Stir all ingredients and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 15 minutes. Add pepper and remove bay leaf before serving. Divide into bowls and garnish with parsley, freshly grated parmesan cheese, and a touch of olive oil if desired.

Nutritional Information Per Serving (~ 1 ¼ cups soup):
Food Weight: 2.0, Calories: 220, Fat: 6 g, Cholesterol: 0 mg, Sodium: 742 mg, Carbohydrate: 30 g, Dietary Fiber: 7 g, Sugars: 5 g, Protein: 12 g