Hearty Lentil Soup

Prep: 20 minutes

Cook: 90 minutes

Yield: 6 servings

3 cups water
3 cups vegetable broth
3 medium carrots, sliced
1 medium onion, chopped
1 cup dried lentils, rinsed
2 celery ribs, sliced
1 small green pepper, chopped
1/4 cup uncooked brown rice
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 garlic clove, minced
1 bay leaf
3/4 cup tomato paste
1/2 cup frozen corn
1/2 cup frozen peas

In a large saucepan, combine the first 11 ingredients. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 1 to 1-1/2 hours or until lentils and rice are tender. Add the tomato paste, corn and peas; stir until blended. Cook, uncovered, for 15-20 minutes or until corn and peas are tender. Discard bay leaf before serving.

Tips and Tricks

I omitted the bay leaf, and I used 8 ounces of tomato sauce in place of the tomato paste. My gas stovetop cooked the rice and lentils in about 45 minutes. I also substituted a pinch of celery salt for the chopped celery. My meat lover husband really liked this soup, and he said it would also be good with Italian sausage in it.

Make It Healthier

This soup is already very healthy. One serving contains 15 grams of fiber, which is more than half of your daily requirement. To reduce the sodium, use low-sodium broth.

How Kids Can Help

Measure ingredients. Rinse lentils. Use Pampered Chef food chopper (see sidebar) to chop carrots and onions.

Nutrition Facts

1-1/3 cups equals 228 calories, 1 g fat (trace saturated fat), 0 cholesterol, 566 mg sodium, 44 g carbohydrate, 15 g fiber, 14 g protein

Diabetic Exchanges

2 starch, 2 vegetable, 1 very lean meat