Well, around here we are back to soup weather! It has been cold, blustery and even a little snowy lately. Perfect weather for one of my favorite vegetarian soups, Tuscan Lentil Soup.
This recipe makes for a healthy, hearty and flavorful dinner. I love Lentils because they are a health powerhouse and are easy to prepare. You don’t have to soak them like other legumes and they have a short cooking time. Lentils have a high level of protein, and they also contain dietary fiber, Folate, vitamin B1, and minerals. Health magazine has selected lentils as one of the five healthiest foods. Lentils are also one of the best vegetable sources of iron. Small French green lentils give this soup a nice texture, but regular brown or pink lentils work just as well. It is great! And by the way, this recipe freezes well too. So, in my case, I can have this delicious soup for lunch instead of the PB &J with the kiddos!
PrintTuscan Lentil Soup
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 pound small French green lentils, rinsed
- 7 cups vegetable broth (I use chicken broth)
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 Tbs extra virgin olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic, chopped
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 2 large carrots, chopped
- 2 ribs celery, chopped
- 1 small cup pasta (try whole wheat)
- 8 oz spinach, chopped
- 1 14oz can diced tomatoes
- 1 Tbs chopped fresh parsley
- salt
- freshly ground black pepper
- fresh Parmesan cheese
Instructions
- In a large pot, combine the lentils, broth and bay leaf. Bring to boil, then reduce heat to a simmer. Cook, partially covered, for approximately 45 minutes, or until lentils are just tender.
- In a small skillet, heat the oil. Add the garlic, onion, carrot and celery. Cook over low heat, stirring often, until vegetables are tender, but not browned. Set aside.
- Bring a med saucepan of water to boil. Add the pasta and cook for about 5 minutes, or until just al dente. Drain and set aside.
- Add the sauteed vegetables, spinach, tomatoes (with juice), and parsley to the lentils. Simmer for 15 minutes, stirring often.
- Stir in the pasta and season with the salt and pepper. Remove the bay leaf. Ladle in bowls, and sprinkle with grated Parmesan cheese. Enjoy!
*recipe adapted from the book Flip the Switch
This is one of my all time favorite soups now. I absolutely love it! It is perfect with some garlic breadsticks fresh from the oven!
The missing ingredient I think is allspice. I halved this recipe, used barley for the grain, which I just added to the lentils 20 minutes into cooking time. I felt like it needed a little something too in the seasoning so I threw in some allspice—didn’t measure but approx. 1-2 tsp. I alternated with sprinkles of garlic salt until I liked the flavor. I have another lentil recipe that I make but my husband likes this one better now.
Thanks this great blog and for including some healthy and vegetarian recipes.
We just made this recipe. It was so good and hit the spot on a cold winter's day. We have a really great lentil recipe too http://bit.ly/7G0sbG that you should try. Lentils are a SUPER FOOD! The recipe has a "missing ingredient" and I wonder if you have any suggestions.
This is so good – made it, loved it, and even blogged about it! Thanks for sharing!!
Found you through My Kitchen cafe – I love this soup (I have made it twice) as well as the sweet potato muffins, yum! Thanks!
i made this last night! i used brown lentils, and my 11 year old, who usually NEVER eats lentils – loved it = the whole family loved it! thanks so much, a delicious soup!
Sounds yummy! My poor family has to suffer through soup year round. I love eating it whether it’s cold or hot outside. Thanks for sharing this delicious looking recipe.
This soup looks great since we have winter again here in Utah. Can’t wait to try.
Our weather is also doing a back flip to winter! UGH!! This looks very inviting, hearthy and a soup that would hit the spot!
this looks so good – I love healthy food because it makes you feel so good too! So how many cups do you think is 8oz of spinach? I really need to buy a scale!! (btw, I added the label vegetarian on this!)