Delish Skinny Soup Recipe

I told you guys a couple of weeks ago that I was going to make lentil soup...I did and LOVED it!! So did Kevin! The reason I want lentil soup is Im trying to get more iron, magnesium and protein in my diet and of course any way to get more veggies is great. I call this a "skinny soup" because it is really good for you and fills you up. It has a TON of fiber (which I love!) and protein in it and not much fat at all. This is Ina Garten's recipe for Lentil Vegetable soup. I suggest cutting down the recipe a bit unless you want tons left over. I also added fresh chopped tomatoes and right before I served mine I threw in some spinach. I ommitted the parmesan because I didnt need it but definetly add the red wine vinegar, because it tastes sooooo good in this soup :)


Cook Time:1 hr 30 min
Level: Easy
Yield: 8 to 10 servings

Ingredients
1 pound French green lentils
4 cups chopped yellow onions (3 large onions)
4 cups chopped leeks, white part only (2 leeks)
1 tablespoon minced garlic (3 cloves)
1/4 cup good olive oil, plus additional for drizzling on top
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1 1/2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon minced fresh thyme leaves or 1 teaspoon dried
1 teaspoon ground cumin
3 cups medium-diced celery (8 stalks)
3 cups medium-diced carrots (4 to 6 carrots)
3 quarts chicken stock
1/4 cup tomato paste
2 tablespoons red wine or red wine vinegar
Freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Directions
In a large bowl, cover the lentils with boiling water and allow to sit for 15 minutes. Drain.

In a large stockpot on medium heat, saute the onions, leeks, and garlic with the olive oil, salt, pepper, thyme, and cumin for 20 minutes, until the vegetables are translucent and very tender. Add the celery and carrots and saute for 10 more minutes. Add the chicken stock, tomato paste, and lentils. Cover and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer uncovered for 1 hour, until the lentils are cooked through. Check the seasonings. Add the red wine and serve hot, drizzled with olive oil and sprinkled with grated Parmesan.