I bought these beautiful lentils a while back, but what I love about lentils is that they can wait in the pantry. I decided to make a simple lentil soup, inspired by a family friend, Grandma Billie. She is from Greece and makes every ingredient taste amazing, even if it is unfamiliar to her. She is a great “old-world” cook that I aspire to be.

The soup is simple and loveable, my younger brother, the meat eater, even went back for seconds. There is little prep (less mess) and you probably have all the ingredients on hand! The nutrition for this dish is amazing, 20% iron! and there is little to no fat, depending on your choice. Feel free to substitute other lentils, but I think you can buy these lentils in bulk for a good price.

If you are trying to watch your weight, the ideal situation would be to have your fruits washed and ready in the morning so they are an easy grab and in sight in the fridge. Many diets fail from poor planning, rather than an individual's lack of will. I hope you find these recipes simple, delicious, and in the front of your fridge!

Servings: soup: 4 6-oz servings or 6 4-oz servings
salad: 1 serving

Ingredients:

Yellow lentil soup:
• 1 celery stalk, small dice
• 1 medium carrot, small dice
• ½ onion, small dice
• 1 small garlic clove, thinly sliced
• ½ Bay leaf
• 1 cup dried yellow lentils
• 2 ½ cups water
• ¾ teaspoon salt
• 1 Tablespoon extra virgin olive oil (optional)
Simple green salad with dressing:

• 1 cup mixed greens
• 1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• less than ⅛ teaspoon salt
• freshly cracked pepper
• ¼ cup baby tomatoes
• 2 teaspoons pine nuts

Directions:

Yellow lentil soup:

1. In a small pot, place the diced celery, carrot, onion, garlic, Bay leaf, and lentils. Add 2 ½ cups of water. Bring to a boil, then place a lid on, and simmer for 30-45 minutes or until lentils are tender to your liking. Taste one lentil.
2. If a lot of the water evaporates, add a bit more to cover the lentils at least. A couple tablespoons will do it, you don't want to dilute the vegetable flavor. Add the salt while it is still simmering and stir in.
3. Take out the ½ Bay leaf and blend with an immersion blender or in a stand blender. You may add olive oil off the heat and stir in. I believe every dish needs some fat to keep us feeling satisfied, but it’s your choice.
4. Serve with salad, bread, or my favorite, a tortilla.

Simple green salad with dressing:

1. Place washed greens in a bowl. Drizzle the olive oil and lemon juice over the greens. Add the salt and pepper on top. Finally, add in tomatoes and pine nuts. That's it!

Additional information: appropriate for Lacto-Ovo Vegetarian and Vegan diets.