After the biggest week of my life I have been feeling a bit on the rundown side. And when I am feeling rundown the only thing that sounds appetizing is soup. Okay, maybe bacon sounds good too but we decided to leave that one out of this healthy vegetarian meal.
The first step to mediterranean lentil soup is a great recipe:
I must admit right now, I was not the cook behind the stove for this soup. One of the greatest things about being home is having a mom that likes to cook just as much as me. And she also loves the Food To Live By cookbook.
While she was busy cooking, I was busy playing with Henry.
Now this soup was special because it wasn’t just for us to enjoy. Every Wednesday I bring lunch over to Gene, a 93 year-old man who is a part of my mom’s school community. He is a wonderful man and I have been enjoying my Wednesday lunches with him. One of my favorite things about him is his appetite. He loves food and can eat a lot!
Gene gave this lentil soup two thumbs up. He also enjoyed a cowboy hat cookie from our wedding. The perfect meal.
Taylor and I are enjoying our last meals with my parents until we head out for Hood River Oregon for the month of February. We can’t wait!
Here is the recipe for the mediterranean lentil soup:
1 tbs olive oil
1 medium yellow onion diced
1 celery rib, thinly sliced
2 small carrots thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 cups french green lentils
8 cups chicken stock
1 bay leaf
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp dried basil
1/4 tsp dried red pepper flakes
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 can diced tomatoes
3 yukon gold potatoes, diced
1 tbs fresh lemon juice
2 packed cups fresh spinach
parmesan cheese for topping
1. heat oil in a large, heavy pot over medium heat. Add onion, celery, and carrots and cook, stirring frequently, for 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until the onion and garlic are soft but not browned, about 1 minute longer
2. Add the lentils and stock. Increase the heat to high and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and let simmer until the lentils soften, about 20 minutes.
3. Add the bay leaf, oregano, basil, pepper flakes, salt, pepper, tomatoes, and potatoes. Let the soup simmer until the potatoes are tender, about 20 minutes longer
4. Just before serving, remove and discard the bay leaf. Add the lemon juice and spinach to the soup and let simmer gently just until the spinach wilts, about 2 minutes. Serve the soup hot and garnish with the parmesan cheese. Enjoy!
This recipe looks esp appealing because it seems to be a thick, almost creamy-textured lentil soup. Will try it this weekend. Thanks for posting, and thanks for cookbook info. Sweet story about your visits with Gene. BTW, brava to your mom, the cook.
So glad to see Henry back in the picture. He looks happy and healthy.
That’s great that Gene gets visits. I wish more people did that for the elderly in their communities.
Glad to see Henry again!
It has been more of a benefit for my well being than his I think! I really look forward to the visits.
It’s so nice having Henry home.
Quick question after I read the recipe more closely (and this may be a dumb question but who cares): What are “fresh green lentils” and where do you get them?
The only lentils available to me are dry packaged lentils. Can they be used in this recipe? If so, should the recipe be modified in any way? Thanks in advance for enlightenment!
It’s supposed to be French green lentils!!! My bad! the dry packed lentils are perfect.
And remember, there is no such thing as a dumb question!
Or as one of my teachers said, The only dumb question is the one that isn’t asked.
Thanks for the clarification, Andrea – and for the kind words from you and from Karen Anne.
Would you believe that there is such a thing as “fresh” green lentils? A google search reveals that they’re used in Indian cooking, which makes sense, as lentils are an important part of the diet. They apparently can be found in the freezer section of some Asian food stores. But very good to know that this delicious-looking soup recipe calls for dried lentils. So much easier to find! Enjoy your break, Andrea! Give Henry a hug for all your loyal readers.
This recipe is delicious! just made it and I am loving it. Tweeked only slightly with what I had, used 2 cups lentils wanted to pump it up, red potatoes, was lazy and bought a 10oz bag of shredded carrots and added tbs cumin (I love cumin). Never made lentil soup and this will definitely be a new staple in my recipe book. Very chunky I did add more so I will add more stock next time but I do like it chunky. Because it was so chunky maybe could be served over rice or quinoa. Thanks for sharing such a great quick and easy recipe!