Thursday, April 18, 2013

Colorful Lentil Soup



The soup I'm going to share with you today is my favorite soup. Other than the fresh flavours, I love all of the bright colors. I adapted a recipe from Foods to Live By. The soup was already perfect, but I wanted to add some protein to the mix to make it more of a complete meal. 


Colorful Lentil Soup
adapted from Summer Harvest Soup in 'Food to Live By' by Myra Goodman 2006

2 Tbsp olive oil
1 large leek, rinsed and thinly sliced
1 bay leaf
2 cloves garlic
1/2 C white wine (optional)
7 C vegetable broth (add extra 1/2 C if you didn't use wine)
1 C green lentils, soaked overnight and rinsed
1 tsp dried thyme
3 small carrots, sliced
2 C mixed green vegetables of your choice (green beans, peas, zuchinni, kale)
2 C mixed yellow vegetables of your choice (yellow beans, corn, summer squash)
2 C mixed red vegetables of your choice ( red pepper, tomatoes)
2 Tbsp chopped fresh basil
1/4 C chopped fresh parsley
salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

1. Heat oil in large soup pot over medium heat. Add leek and bay leaf and cook for about 3 minutes while stirring occasionally. Add the garlic, and continuing cooking until vegetables begin to soften (about 5 minutes). 
2. Add the wine ( if using), and cook over med-high heat until wine is almost evaporated. 
3. Add the vegetable stock, lentils, and thyme. Bring to a boil for 10 minutes, then reduce to a simmer for about 30 minutes. Test the lentils to make sure they are cooked. 
4. Add the sturdier vegetables (carrots, beans) and let simmer for 5 minutes. 
5. Add the softer vegetables (except tomatoes) and let simmer for about 5 more minutes. 
6. Add the tomatoes and herbs and let simmer until just heated through ( about 1 minute).
7. Season with salt and pepper and serve immediately with a hearty piece of whole grain bread. 

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