Lentil Soup
It was an exceptionally cold day and I was supposed to go to the grocery store but there was no way I was packing my son up to face that cold weather! What to do, what to do. I chose to take advantage of the situation and challenge myself;I had to make dinner with whatever I had on hand, no going to the store, and no calling Mike and asking him to stop at the store on his way home from work. This is what I came up with, a hearty soup which was great on this very cold Canadian winter!
Serves 4
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 Small onion, diced
1 Small carrot, diced
2 Cloves garlic, crushed
1 900 ml box of sodium reduced stock (I used beef stock)
1 Bay leaf
1 540 ml can of lentils, rinsed
Salt
Pepper
– In a large pot, add the olive oil and turn the heat to high. When the oil is hot (it will ripple), add the onions and carrots, season with salt and pepper.
– Drop the heat to medium hiigh; saute the veggiees for 5 to 7 minutes , until the onions are soft and translucent. If the veggies are getting too dark, too quickly, drop the heat to medium.
– Add the garlic and saute for about 30 seconds, careful not to let it burn.
– Add the stock and bay leaf; bring it up to a boil.
– Add the lentils, season with salt and pepper.
– Let the soup come back up to a boil. When the soup has started to boil, drop the heat to low and cover the pot with a lid.
– Simmer on low for 20 minutes.
– After the soup has simmered, remove the bay leaf; taste the soup and adjust seasoning.
Notes:
- To make this a completely vegetarian soup, use vegetable stock.
- A little spice would be awesome;start with a ½ tsp chili flakes, add them to the oil before you turn on the heat (this will infuse the oil).
- Lentils are high protein, high fibre, low fat, and delicious; a win across the board; I always have canned lentils on hand.
- If you prefer the dried lentils, or any bean, go ahead. I like the convenience of canned beans and I think they taste fantastic (not like canned veggies; yuck).