Remember on Monday when I told you all that I made soup? Well, as it turns out, that soup is pretty darn delicious.
So, if it’s okay with you, I’m going to share it with ya’ll today, mmmkay?
First of all, I gotta tell ya that it is not easy making a soup like this look pretty. For me, it’s just not happening, but to anyone who else that can, well, they are a genius.
The other day, I came across a bag of lentils that have been sitting in my pantry for, ohh I don’t know, over a year at least (hopefully they don’t go bad?). I decided it was time to do something with those bad boys so I started looking around in some of my cookbooks to see what I could find.
Sure enough, I came across a recipe for Spinach Lentil Stew in my Taste of Home cookbook that seemed not only easy enough, but I also already had almost all of the ingredients on hand. Perfect.
I made a few slight adaptations to the original recipe based on what I had at home, and it worked like a charm.
Spinach Lentil Soup
(slightly adapted from Taste of Home)
Perfect for a quick, cozy dinner on a cool, crisp evening. Pair it with some crusty bread, a nice glass of wine, and you’ll be set for the rest of the night.
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes
Ingredients:
- 3/4 cup chopped onion
- 2 teaspoons minced garlic
- 1 package (10oz.) fresh baby spinach leaves
- 1 tablespoon canola oil
- 4 cups vegetable or chicken broth
- 1 cup water
- 1 cup lentils, rinsed
- 3 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 cup chopped carrots
- 1 can (14-1/2oz.) diced tomatoes, undrained
Directions:
- In a large saucepan, sauté onion in oil until tender, 3-4 minutes. Add garlic and sauté an additional minute. Add baby spinach leaves, cover, and allow spinach to cook down until wilted.
- Add the broth, water, lentils, Worcestershire sauce, salt, thyme, pepper, and bay leaf; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 20 minutes.
- Add carrots and diced tomatoes; return to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer 20-25 minutes longer or until lentils are tender. Enjoy!
*****
Since Jay really has no desire to go anywhere near lentils, I have this whole big batch for myself; but at the risk of overdosing on spinach and lentils, I divided my batch into two, and put the other half in the freezer for another time.
(FYI: When freezing soups/stews, I put it in a sealable, plastic container, and simply pop it in the freezer. I’ve also heard of people using gallon-size freezer bags which can take up less space, but the plastic containers work well for me.)
Lunch today is going to be awesome.
Question for the Afternoon:
Do you have a favorite homemade soup recipe?
Feel free to share and/or link it up in the comments section!
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