lentils

Lentil soup is always amazing. You can google many recipes depending on if you want to use sausage or keep it vegetarian.

I've made this one and love it. I must give credit to Ellie Kreiger from Food Network for this one.

Herbed Lentils with Spinach and Tomatoes

Ingredients

1 cup French lentils
2 cups water
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons diced shallots
3 cups baby spinach leaves (about 3 ounces)
1 cup halved grape tomatoes (about 1/2 pint)
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil leaves
1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1/4 cup chopped fresh mint leaves
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Directions

Place the lentils in a pot with the water and bring to a boil. Cover and simmer for 30-35 minutes, until the lentils are tender but still retain their shape. Drain any excess water from the lentils and set them aside.

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over a medium-high heat. Add the shallots and cook until they are softened, about 3 minutes. Add the spinach and cook until just wilted, about 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes, lentils, basil, parsley, and mint to the pan and stir to combine. Cook until warmed through, about 1 minute. Stir in the lemon juice, salt and pepper and serve.
Per Serving:

Calories 235; Total Fat 8 g; (Sat Fat 1 g, Mono Fat 5 g, Poly Fat 1 g) ; Protein 11 g; Carb 33 g; Fiber 9 g; Cholesterol 0 mg; Sodium 330 mg

Here's my soup recipe:


Chicken & Lentil Soup:

12 oz. Chicken - Boneless Skinless Breast
1 cup Onion, chopped
3 tsp Garlic, chopped
48 oz. Swanson's Low Sodium Chicken Broth
1 packet Swanson – Chicken Flavor Boost
1 bag (about 3-1/2 cups) Dried Lentils
14.5 oz can Hunt’s Petite Diced Tomatoes, add juice too
1 cup Cilantro, fresh, chopped
1/8 tsp Sea Salt
2 tsp Granulated Roasted Garlic (Spice Hunter brand)
1-1/2 tsp Ground Cumin
1/2 tsp Oregano
1/2 tsp Black Pepper
1/2 tsp Smoked Paprika
1/4 tsp Cayenne Pepper
1/2 tsp Chili Powder
1 cup water

Saute Chicken in olive oil, when cooked remove from pan & set aside. Sauté onions & garlic until translucent, then transfer chicken back to the stock pot. Add chicken broth, water & flavor boost packet & stir. Finally add the lentils, tomatoes & the remainder of the spices. Simmer until lentils are tender, approximately 45-60 minutes.

*Note the soup is good immediately after being prepared, but is amazing after it sits in the refrigerator for a day or 2!

Per 2 cup serving: calories 277 / fat 1 gram / carbs 53 grams / protein 36 grams / fiber 23 grams

I make a simple lentil stew for lunches. It's not fancy, but I think it's pretty flavorful.

Per each serving of lentils (35 g = 1 serving), add one chopped carrot and 1/4 C of chopped onion or shallot. Cook lentils + veggies in water according to package directions.

Simple, and the onion and carrot add quite a lot of flavor. You could always add a little cumin and coriander and maybe ginger too if you felt like it needed spicing up. It's pretty versatile. Spinach goes great with lentils too.

I use lentils to bulk out or replace beef mince in pasta sauce, cottage pies etc

Vegetable curry with added lentils