I enjoy a healthy, hearty soup that can be a meal on its own. This soup fits the bill. Lentils help provide a good dose of protein, fiber and other nutrients to make this soup filling, satisfying and nutritious.
The vegetables in this recipe help add more nutritional value, but they also help create a nice broth. That said I still add one bouillon cube to help enrich the flavor.
I like to use organic potatoes for this recipe. Instead of peeling them I just scrub the outside and leave the skins on to retain more nutrients and fiber.
This savory soup hits the spot on those cold winter evenings. It’s good on its own or with gluten-free biscuits. When I have them on hand I like to add dried shitake mushrooms to provide a more savory flavor, but you can easily make it without them.
Ingredients:
- 1 1/2 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/2 large onion, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 stalks celery, chopped
- 3 carrots, peeled and chopped
- 2 medium potatoes, chopped
- 6 cups water
- 1 cup lentils
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
- 1 teaspoon sage
- 1 gluten-free veggie bouillon cube or equivalent
- 2 bay leaves
- 4 dried shitake mushrooms broken into pieces (optional)
Instructions:
In soup pan sauté onion, garlic, celery and carrots in olive oil on medium heat for a few minutes, until onion starts to become translucent.
Add potatoes, water, lentils, salt and pepper. Turn heat to medium-high.
When soup just starts to bubble add bouillon cube or equivalent (I use Vogue Instant VegeBase, which can be found with free shipping at Amazon). Add sage, bay leaves and dried shitake mushrooms (if using). Stir well.
Turn heat down to medium-low and let soup simmer until the vegetables are soft, about 30 minutes.
By cutting the vegetables smaller they will get soft more quickly, but the flavors strengthen as the soup sits so I try not to rush it; I let it simmer for the full 30 minutes.
Because the flavors blend so nicely as it sits, this soup works well leftover. I make this hearty soup regularly during the chilly months, and it is perfect on those days when my husband and I are doing our own thing and we may want to eat at slightly different times. With a lid on the pan it stays warm for quite a while, but it also easy to reheat.