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.

Spinach Lentil Soup

If you are trying to feel svelte post Super Bowl he-man fat-filled food, give this Lentil Spinach Soup a try.

It's totally vegetarian. It's packed with many veggies and you can freeze half of it when your husband and son refuse to eat any.

I found the recipe on Pinterest. I added chopped celery because I felt like it. And I used one gigantic carrot instead of three carrots as listed.

Also, I wholeheartedly support topping a bowl of this deliciousness with some feta because when I detox I don't REALLY detox. Wine and cheese are pretty much always a part of my day. If that's wrong I don't want to be right. Feta is seriously good on top. For reals.

The colors of this soup are just so pretty. It is sure to brighten up any day.

Enjoy!

Lentil Spinach Soup

By The Garden Grazer
Serves 6-8

1 onion
3 carrots
4-5 cloves garlic
2 cups dry lentils (green or brown)
15 oz. can diced tomatoes (or fresh)
4 cups vegetable broth
3 cups water
4-5 oz. spinach
1 1/2 tsp. cumin
1 tsp. smoked paprika
1/4 tsp. salt, more to taste
Optional: potato is great in this too!

Directions
Dice onion and carrot.
In a large stockpot over medium heat, saute onion and carrot for about 7 minutes.
Meanwhile, mince garlic and rinse lentils.
Add garlic, cumin, paprika, and salt to stockpot. Saute 1 minute.
Add broth, water, tomatoes, and lentils.
Increase heat and bring to a boil.
Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for about 30 minutes or until lentils are tender.
Meanwhile, roughly chop spinach.
Add spinach during last couple minutes of cooking.
Salt to taste.

Going Greek

“Whadda you-a mean you-a eata NO meat?”

Awkward pause….

“That’s OK. I-a make-a you-a lamb.”

Yes. The crazy aunt from “My Big Fat Greek Wedding” is unforgettable.

I know, I know.

My movie quotes are so 2002. Or let’s be real, 90s. Or yeah, 80s.
Like seriously, if there were life challenges that required useless quotes from: “Singles,” “Pulp Fiction,” “When Harry Met Sally,” “Clueless,” “Old School,” and if we’re really talking historic: “Heathers” and “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off,” I hands down would win the big prize of knowing trivial movie quotes from obsessively watching the same not-very-deep movies over and over again. And yes, these films have not appeared in movie theaters for decades and they’re probably not winning any awards, although I think “Pulp Fiction” won a bunch of stuff, but it was the 90s. We were too Kool and the Gang, Jimmy, to care.

So, the aunt who is the self-proclaimed best chef in the family and mispronounces words and drinks a lot of booze and has no tolerance for vegetarians in the Greek wedding movie. That lady totally gets me.

In honor of her and the awesomeness that is Greek food, I made a kind of Greekish din featuring Fantabulous Spicy Lamb Meatballs with Yogurt Sauce, Greek Salad and Lentil Salad.

Heavy on the salads, I know. But me and the husband love to get the veg on despite grooving on meat and fish and proteins that were alive at one point. Variety is the spice of life, no?

And when I saw that my little, ole SuperFresh in H’town actually carried lamb, I rejoiced and just about did cartwheels down the aisle. (I kind of live in the sticks, so when other cultures/cuisines arrive here, I get a bit hysterical and praise Jesus that I can cook things other than chicken and pork and salmon, oh my.)

So, spice up your day with some Greek food. It’s way delish and packed with good things for you like fresh herbs and vegetables and lemon juice. Yay!

Fantabulous Spicy Lamb Meatballs
(Makes 16)

1 lb. ground lamb
¼ cup chopped red onion
3 Tbsp. chopped parsley
3 garlic cloves, chopped
1 tsp. coriander
1 tsp. cumin
2 tsp. hot sauce
¼ tsp. cinnamon
½ tsp. salt
¼ tsp. fresh black pepper

Mix all the ingredients gently in a bowl.

Roll meat into balls with a 1 1/2 –inch diameter. Line up on a baking sheet. (You may refrigerate until ready to bake.)

When ready to bake, preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Bake for 20 to 24 minutes.

Serve with Yogurt Sauce.

Yogurt Sauce for Spicy Lamb Meatballs
¾ cup Greek yogurt
1 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
1 Tbsp. parsley, chopped
1 Tbsp. fresh mint or basil, chopped
Pinch of salt
Fresh black pepper to taste

Mix all the ingredients in a bowl. Chill until ready to serve

Greek Salad Dressing
(Use on your favorite salad vegetables such as romaine, red bell pepper, green bell pepper, cucumber, red onion. Makes enough salad dressing for four big servings.)

2 Tbsp. red wine vinegar
1 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
3 Tbsp. olive oil
¼ tsp. oregano
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
Salt and pepper to taste

Mix ingredients in a bowl. Pour over salad. Toss salad.

Lentil Salad

For the lentils:
1 cup favorite dried lentils (I like French green lentils)
2 bay leaves
5 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
¼ tsp. dried oregano

Place the above ingredients in a large pot or saucepan. Cover with at least 2 inches of water. Bring mixture to a boil. Lower heat and simmer until lentils are cooked, about 20 to 25 minutes. Drain mixture in a colander. Rinse lentils under cold water. Discard bay leaves

For the salad:

1 cup red bell pepper, diced
1 small red onion, diced
3 Tbsp. basil, finely chopped
2 Tbsp. parsley, finely chopped
Prepared lentils (see above)

Place all the ingredients in a bowl. Gently mix.

For vinaigrette:

6 Tbsp. red wine vinegar
6 Tbsp. olive oil
½ tsp. cumin
2 cloves garlic, minced
Salt and pepper to taste

Mix all the ingredients in a bowl with a whisk or a fork. Add to lentil mixture. When ready to serve, top with feta cheese.