With the chilly temps outside, soup has become a necessity! However, store-bought soups contain so much sodium, I instantly feel swollen. Your best option is to make your own. I am not one for complicated recipes, so here is a healthy, delicious and quite simple lentil soup recipe given to me by my father-in-law.
My daughter loved watching the process of chopping and dicing and adding all the ingredients into one pot. Everyone in my family loved this for dinner. I heated up whole wheat pita bread to dip in the soup. Filling, delicious, warm, and low sodium.
Get messy, have fun and eat healthy!
Easy Homemade Lentil Soup Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 Tbsp. olive oil
- 1 medium yellow onion, diced
- 2 ribs celery, diced
- 2 carrots, diced
- 1 to 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tsp. ground cumin
- 1 cup dry green or brown lentils
- 1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes
- 4 cups low sodium vegetable broth
- 2 tsp. fresh thyme
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 2 Tbsp. balsamic cream (you can find at Whole Foods)
Directions
In a pot, over medium heat, add olive oil until hot, about 1 minute.
Add onion, celery, carrots and any other veggies you like, and stir for eight minutes or until veggies are tender.
Add garlic and stir for one minute.
Stir in cumin and a bundle of thyme (plan to remove thyme prior to serving).
Add in lentils and tomatoes. Bring to a boil and then reduce to simmer and put on lid.
Simmer until lentils are tender, about two hours.
Add water as needed if soup thickens, about ½ cup at a time.
Season with salt and pepper and balsamic cream to taste.
