INGREDIENTS

• 1 ½ medium carrots, diced
  
• 1 ½ stalks celery, sliced
• ⅓ cup onion, diced small
• 1 ½ tablespoons olive oil
• ¼ teaspoon pepper
• 1 ½ teaspoons of of cumin
• 5 cups spring water
• 1 cup crushed organic tomatoes, preferably from a glass jar
• ½ teaspoon dried basil leaves
• 1 bay leaf
• An 8 oz. bag green, brown or black lentils
• Cilantro (optional as a garnish)

Angela’s Lentil Soup

Makes 8 servings: One cup per serving

Directions

1. In a large pot, heat the oil over medium heat and sauté the onions, carrots and celery

2. While they sauté, spread the lentils out on a large plate to check for any stones

3. Add the water, tomatoes, lentils and remaining ingredients, and bring the pot to a boil

4. Cover and turn down heat and simmer until the lentils soften, about 25-35 minutes

5. Take out the bay leaf and spoon the soup into individual cups

Garnish with cilantro right before serving

Chef Angela: I often use spices to substitute for salt in my recipes. In this case, I add 1 ½ teaspoons of cumin. I make a double portion of this soup once a month and freeze the leftovers in individual servings for lunch, last minute dinners, or mid-afternoon snacks.

Debbie’s Nutritional Notes: A serving of lentils provides abundant benefits: high fiber content, vitamins, minerals, and protein. Best of all, lentils are low in calories and are an excellent choice to promote healthy weight loss. (Plus, they also help lower cholesterol and blood glucose.)