Lentil Soup

This lentil soup recipe is rather large it makes 10 servings at 200 calories per serving, but is the perfect Phase One meal that will help you through these first 14 days. It is packed with vitamins, minerals and fiber; lentils are known to help reduce lower you cholesterol and blood pressure. You can enjoy this dish for lunch, or dinner.

Ingredients

  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 1 cup chopped celery
  • 1 cup chopped carrots
  • 1 large white onion, diced
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 cups dry lentils
  • 8 cups low sodium chicken broth
  • 1 can low sodium crushed tomatoes
  • 2 tsp cumin
  • 3 cups spinach, rinsed and roughly chopped
  • 1/4 cup fresh basil chopped or 1 tbsp dried basil
  • ground black pepper to taste
  • Hot sauce to taste

Directions

  1. In a large soup pot, heat oil over medium heat. Add carrots, celery and onions and cook, stirring occasionally for about 10 minutes or until the vegetables have softened. Stir in garlic and cook for another minute.
  1. Add lentils, broth, tomatoes, and cumin. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, and simmer for about one hour or until lentils are tender.
  1. When lentils are tender, stir in spinach and basil, and cook until it wilts. Season with a little pepper and maybe a little hot sauce if you like to spice it up.
  1. For a creamy texture, remove about half of soup when cooled and puree in a blender. Add back to pot, garnish with basil.
    Health Benefits of Lentils

    Lentils are easy to prepare and an excellent source of molybdenum and folate. They are a very good source of dietary fiber, copper, phosphorus and manganese. Additionally they are a good source of iron, protein, vitamin B1, pantothenic acid, zinc, potassium and vitamin B6