Lentil Soup with Baby Spinach and Lemon Juice

I'm heading on vacay soon, so healthy eating is in order. Lentil Soup with Baby Spinach and Lemon Juice is just what the nutritionist ordered.

This turned out really fab. Very light and delicious. The burst of lemon juice at the end is very refreshing.

My grandmother's lentil soup was always very heavy. Made with ham bones, it really made you feel weighted down - despite its deliciousness. My vegetarian lentil soup is a total 180 from my grandmother's tradition, but I do think she would love this, too. Especially when getting ready to hit up Florida on vacay! Spa food right at home.

Lentil Soup with Baby Spinach and Lemon Juice
Makes 8 to 10 servings

2 celery stalks, diced
2 carrots, diced
1 medium onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 dried bay leaves
1 Tbsp. Italian seasoning
Salt and pepper to taste
1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 14.5 ounce can chopped tomatoes
1 5 ounce package baby spinach
2 cups lentils, rinsed
6-8 cups vegetable broth
2-4 cups of water
Juice of 1 lemon

In a large soup pan over medium heat, add celery, carrots, onion and bay leaf. Cook for 5 to 6 minutes. Add garlic and Italian seasoning. Add salt and pepper to taste. Cook over medium heat for another 3-4 minutes.

Add tomatoes and vegetable broth. Bring to a boil. Cook for 20 minutes.

Check for seasoning. Add lentils. Simmer for 30 minutes. Add water if needed while the lentils cook, one cup at a time. (The lentils absorb a lot of liquid.)

Once the lentils are tender. Stir in baby spinach. Let spinach wilt. Turn off heat. Add lemon juice.

Serve with grated parmigiano and a drizzle of olive oil.

What's for Dinner?

I don't know about you, but in my day as a kiddo, weeknight dinner cooked courtesy of my Ma was always on the table. There was often a predictable weekly rotation - steak, clams and spaghetti, stir fry, taco night (yay!), roast beast, roast chicken, stuffed flounder, Shake and Bake (hee), etc.

Salad was always part of the mix. To this day, if some leafy greens aren't part of the dinner being served before moi, I'm like, "What, what, what just happened?" Fortunately, I'm pretty much the fool serving the dinner before me, so a lovely salad is often part of my day-to-day along with copious amounts of wine. Serenity now!

Here, dear, lovely readers is my most fave salad of the moment: Arugula and celery salad. Two completely boring ingredients on their own, but together - Sha-zam!

Totally fab.

I toss my arugula and celery with the best olive oil I have hanging around my cupboard. A little salt and peppa, topped off with small gems of Prima Donna cheese. If you're not familiar with Prima Donna, it is a hard gouda that is smooth and rich. It works beautifully with the peppery taste of arugula and the crunch of celery. I always have Prima Donna on hand, thanks to my local market Bagliani's, but you can order it online here at DiBruno Bros., which is another place of awesomeness, but since I am a glamorous working mother of a 2-year-old who spends her free time scrubbing bathrooms and making feeble attempts to maintain order in my perpetually disorderly home, I do not jaunt on over to Philly as much as I did in my carefree pre-momma days.

C'est la vie.

Anyway, here is a salad I do think my Mom would totally dig. I will have to make it for her the next time we dine together.

Susan's Arugula and Celery Salad
3 servings

3 to 4 cups baby arugula, washed and dried
2 stalks of celery, chopped into moons
20-25 small flecks of Prima Donna cheese
Salt and pepper
3-4 Tbsp. really really good extra virgin olive oil

In a salad bowl, toss argula and celery with salt, pepper and olive oil. Top with cheese. Serve!