Ingredients
- 1 onion, chopped
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 2 carrots, diced
- 2 stalks celery, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- 1 (14.5 ounce) can crushed tomatoes
- 2 cups dry lentils
- 8 cups water
- 1/2 cup spinach, rinsed and thinly sliced
- 2 tablespoons vinegar
- salt to taste
- ground black pepper to taste
Directions
- In a large soup pot, heat oil over medium heat. Add onions, carrots, and celery; cook and stir until onion is tender. Stir in garlic, bay leaf, oregano, and basil; cook for 2 minutes.
- Stir in lentils, and add water and tomatoes. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer for at least 1 hour. When ready to serve stir in spinach, and cook until it wilts. Stir in vinegar, and season to taste with salt and pepper, and more vinegar if desired.
I would probably add a little diced ham for flavor, cut the olive oil way back, and use stewed tomatoes instead of crushed tomatoes. I'd also toss in a some chicken bouillon cubes, or use broth instead of water. Have any of you ever created a lentil soup? Any yummy ideas?
lady red, I love lentils. I would definitely use chicken stock instead of water and probably substitue a cup of white wine for one of the cups of liquid.
ReplyDeleteYou can throw lentils into any vegetable or chicken soup.
I love this lentil recipe for a fall/winter lunch, plus it's super healthy and good for you!
Lentils with Fried Onions
Ingredients
2 T olive oil
1 pound onions, peeled, quartered and sliced (about 4 medium)
1 cup brown or green lentils
Salt to taste
Pour the oil into a heavy skillet or saucepan and place over moderate heat. Add the onions and cook, stirring often, until they are tender, starting to become crisp, and have turned a rich brown color. This can take as long as 25 minutes. Remove half the onions to a dish and reserve. Add the lentils and water to barely cover the lentils. Bring to a boil, stirring up the caramelized bits of onion at the bottom of the skillet. Lower the heat, and simmer the lentils and onion for about 25 minutes, covered, or until the lentils are cooked but still firm to the bite. Check a few times to see that there is enough water; add it sparingly, if necessary. If there is too much liquid, remove the cover and boil the lentils to evaporate excess water. Stir in the reserved onions and taste for seasoning. Serve hot or at room temperature.
Nutritional information per serving: assuming 6 servings
184 calories
9.8 g total fat
(1.0 g saturated fat)
26.5 g carbohydrate
11.0 g fiber
9.8 g protein
Mmmm...that sounds good! Why do you barely keep the lentils covered with water? What happens if you have too much water?
ReplyDeleteIt just occurred to me...I should cook them as I would split peas, not as I would beans. Too much water = bland. Is that right?
ReplyDeletelady red #2, because you want them to absorb the water (like when you cook rice) you don't want to have to drain them.
ReplyDelete#3, correct!
I have many lentil recipes; I use the French green, pink and black too.
ReplyDeleteThat recipe sounds fine to me but I agree with adding the ham, lady red. Gotta have something for the men :-)
We cleaned & rearranged the pantry, today, taking lots of cake mixes, pie fillings, etc to Mom's house to avoid temptation.
ReplyDeleteWhile doing so, I found a bag of the tiny lentils (about 1/2 normal diameter)that I forgot I had.
Since yesterday was the Labor-Day Sunday family reunion, that means that winter, hence 'soup season' is rapidly approaching, so I will see what come out of my lentil discovery.
As for me, I would probably skip the tomatoes in the lentil soup recipe featured above, and possibly use bacon as a base, with the bacon grease substituting for the olive oil.
Not nearly so healthy, but YUM.