Lentil soup is one of my favorites. Growing up, my mother used to make lentil soup by boiling lentils with carrots, onions, and potatoes until they are soft and then blending them to make a delicious creamy dish. Lately, I have been playing around with different variations of lentil soup and this one so far is looking to be a winner. I love the feel of the different textures in your mouth from the soft lentils to the zucchini.
Lentils are such an awesome source of nutrients. First and foremost they are loaded with folic acid. Folic acid has been proven to prevent neural tube defects during pregnancy. Recent studies have shown that women should start to take folic acid supplements or consume recommended amounts of folic acid in their diet starting from puberty all the way to menopause, basically all throughout their childbearing years. The recommended daily value of folate is 400 micrograms. Half a cup of lentils contains 179 micrograms and a cup of spinach contains 263 micrograms (both spinach and lentils are in this recipe). Lentils are also a great source of zinc, iron and copper.
Chunky Lentil Soup
Ingredients:
1 cup of brown lentils
1 cup of chopped fresh spinach (or frozen)
1 zucchini, chopped
1 tomato, cubed
1 onion, chopped really fine
1/4 cup of chopped cilantro
8 cups of chicken broth (or vegetable broth)
salt and pepper to taste
Directions:
1. Pour the chicken broth, lentils, and half of the onions in a pot and bring to boil for about 10 minutes or until the lentils are soft and cooked through.
2. Add the zucchini, tomato, rest of the onions, spinach and cilantro and let it simmer for another 10 minutes.
3. Add salt and pepper as you see fit (usually when I use chicken broth I don't add much spices because it is already flavorful and you are getting a lot of flavors from the vegetables.)
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