Lentil Love

I love to whip out my lentil soup recipe when I'm in the need for a warm, hearty meal to get cozy with on a chilly winter night. Lentils have a delicious earthly flavor and are full of  nutritious goodies: they are very low in saturated fat (the bad fat), cholesterol and sodium. They are crazy high in protein, iron, fiber, and lots of other good stuff, leaving you feeling full and satisfied for a few hours :)  In a cup of cooked lentils, you'll consume around 250 calories of goodness. Personally, I like to make my lentil soup with brown or green lentils, and keep it simmering for at least 2 hours to let all the flavors mingle together.  I also like to compliment my lentil soup with a garlic cheese bread!  Here's how to make some lentil love:

Ingredients:

- 2 cups of brown lentils

- 1 onion, chopped

- 4 or 5 cloves of garlic, minced

- 3 cups chicken broth

- 3 cups vegetable broth (you can also use dehydrated chicken/veg. broth, just follow the package directions for adding water to the dehydrated broth)

- 1 medium potato, peeled and cut into small cubes

- 2 ripe tomatoes

- 2 teaspoons ground cumin

- 1 teaspoons black pepper

- Salt to taste

- A pinch of red pepper flakes

- Some cilantro and olive oil to garnish your soup when finished

- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil to sautee onions and garlic

Step 1: Heat the vegetable oil on medium heat in a big pot, and sautee the onions until translucent. Add the garlic, sautee both until golden

Step 2: Reduce the heat, add the lentils, potato cubes, tomatoes, and spices. Mix together for half a minute. 

Step 3: Add the broths and bring to a boil.  Then reduce the heat to low, and let it simmer for 2 hours.

The soup will be done when the potatoes and tomatoes have melted, and the lentils have split.  Brown lentils will retain their form pretty well though.  Important note: Keep stirring your soup every now and then so it doesn't stick to the pot.  Also, If your lentils soak up all the water, add more water as needed.

Taste your soup before serving to check for any need for additional spices or salt.

Garnish your soup with a bit of fresh lemon, cilantro and a swirl of olive oil! Enjoy! :)

How to make the garlic bread:

Ingredients:

- 1 long white baguette (or brown if you want an extra dose of fiber!)

- 4 cloves of garlic, minced

- 2 tablespoons of olive oil

- 2 handfuls of part-skim mozzarella cheese

Step 1: Combine the garlic and olive oil in a bowl

Step 2: Slice the baguette on an angle, and use a brush to spread the olive oil-garlic mixture on each slice. 

Step 3: sprinkle mozzarella cheese on each baguette slice.

Step 4: pop in the oven for 3 minutes under a low-broil setting. When the cheese has melted and everything looks all golden, serve with the soup and enjoy!! :)

Bon appetit! :)