Food is Medicine: One-Pot Lentil and Veggie Soup
Baby, it’s cold outside! Do you know what that means? It’s soup season! Soup is the perfect meal or side to add to your menu this fall. It is so easy to include anti-inflammatory ingredients that not only taste good but make you feel good, too!
Lentil soup is great for warming up your cold bones and making them feel better! Lentils are full of polyphenols (great for protecting overall health), potassium to support blood pressure, fiber for digestion, and folate for heart health. On top of all that, they’re a fantastic source of protein. Other anti-inflammatory ingredients, like black pepper, garlic, and olive oil make this recipe a fall staple.
One-Pot Lentil and Veggie Soup Recipe:
Ingredients:
2 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
3 cups fresh or frozen chopped onion, carrot, and celery mix
4 cloves garlic, chopped
4 cups low-sodium vegetable or chicken broth
1 ½ cups green or brown lentils
1 (15 oz) can unsalted diced tomatoes, undrained
2 tsp finely chopped fresh thyme
½ tsp salt
½ tsp ground pepper
½ tsp crushed red pepper
½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
3 cups roughly chopped kale
1 ½ Tbsp red wine vinegar
4 Tbsp chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley to garnish
Directions:
Heat olive oil in a Dutch oven or large pot over medium heat.
Add the chopped onion, carrot and celery mix; cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, 6-10 minutes.
Add chopped garlic and cook, stirring often, until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
Stir in broth, lentils, tomatoes, thyme, salt, pepper, and crushed red pepper.
Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low; cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until the lentils are almost tender, 15-25 minutes. Add water as needed to thin to desired consistency.
Stir in kale. Cook, covered, until the kale is tender, 5-10 minutes.
Stir in the red wine vinegar.
Divide the soup among 6 bowls; sprinkle with Parmesan and garnish with parsley, if desired.
