French Lentil Soup

This soup is wonderfully earthy and satisfying. Lentils definitely earn their spot among the powerhouses of food. They are considered legumes along with other types of beans and are extremely rich in fiber, minerals, protein, B-vitamins, and contain almost no fat. At only 230 calories for a cup of cooked lentils you can fill up without rounding out :) The red wine and dijon mustard in this recipe add a rich "Frenchy" element to the soup. Serve this with rice, barley or a nice thick, crusty piece of bread. Word to the wise, plan to spend the evening at home after eating this soup. Toot toot!



French Lentil Soup
3 Tbs canola or coconut oil
1 large onion, diced
3 stalks celery, chopped
6-7 cloves garlic, minced
2 bay leaves
2 heaping Tbs tomato paste
1 1/2 cups red wine
16 oz. dried red lentils, rinsed and sorted
6 cups vegetable broth
2 Tbs dried oregano or thyme
1 1/2 tsp pepper
1 tsp salt
2 cups spinach, coarsely chopped
2 Tbs dijon mustard

Heat the oil in a large soup pot over med-high heat. Add the onions and celery and sauté for a few minutes. Add in the garlic and bay leaves. Sauté another 3-4 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste and wine. Reduce by three-quarters.

Add in the lentils, and enough veggie broth to cover the lentils with a couple inches of liquid. Simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, and adding enough broth (or water) to keep the lentils covered.

Cook the soup for 30-40 minutes or till the lentils are tender. Add in the oregano/thyme, pepper and salt. Stir in the spinach and cook gently until it is soft and wilted. Finally, add in the dijon mustard and serve immediately while it's hot! The soup tastes even better the next day as leftovers :)

Serves about 6.