Spinach Lentil Soup

Racking in at 20 grams of fiber per serving, this tasty soup is fiberlicious! I made a whole pot of spinach lentil soup with very little prep time. I used pre-diced onions ($.99 a bag at TJ's and the recipe used 1/2 the bag) and pre-shredded carrots. The recipe does not specify what type of lentils to use. I chose tiny black lentils and I think this reduced the cooking time. I will definatly make this dish again and it beats all canned lentil soups hands-down. It's even vegan.

Spinach Lentil Soup

1 cup shredded carrots

1 large onion, chopped

1 tablespoon olive oil

6 cups water

1 (16 ounce) jar salsa

1 1/4 cups dried lentils

3/4 teaspoon salt

1 (10 ounce) package fresh spinach, torn

In a large pot, saute carrots and onion in oil until tender. Add the water, salsa, lentils and salt. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer until the lentils are tender (50-60 minutes, but it took mine about 30 minutes). Stir in the spinach and simmer until the wilted (about 5-10 minutes).

6 (1 1/2 cup) Servings: 208 calories, 3 grams fat, 686 mg sodium, 36 g carbs, 20 g fiber, 18 g protein. Exchanges: 2 vegetable, 1 starch, 1 very lean meat, 1/2 fat.

Curried Lentils Over Rice

My friend shared her recipe for Curried Lentils and I finally made it for dinner. It was super easy, filling, and delicious. Best of all it is healthy - not to mention - cheap! I was able to find all the ingredients (besides the onion and garlic) in the bulk aisle of our natural foods market.

Mix together in a small bowl:

• 2 TBSP Curry Powder
• 1 TPSP Ground Cumin
• 1/4-1/2 TBSP of Red Pepper
• 1/4-1/2 TBSP Ground coriander
• 1 Cinnamon Stick

Set aside.

Chop one onion and press a few cloves of garlic. Saute onion and garlic in a saucepan with olive oil until the onion is soft and translucent. Add the spices and stir together until everything is coated and hot (less than a minute). Add two cups of water and one cup of red lentils. Bring to a boil and then turn down to a simmer. Simmer covered until the lentils are soft and ready. Stir occasionally to prevent sticking and burning. If necessary, add more water to the lentils. Serve over rice. Enjoy!