Hearty Lentil & Vegetable Soup

Fall is in full swing and that means the temperature is dropping every day! It’s around this time of year that I start craving soup again. In the summertime I gravitate towards salads and sandwiches, and pretty much anything that doesn’t require the stove to be on for more than 10 minutes. But now that it’s a bit cooler outside and the sunny days are accompanied by gloomy ones, I love spending more time in the kitchen cooking up recipes like this one.

This lentil & vegetable soup is perfect for meal prep or for a family dinner on a weekday. It takes about half an hour to cook and is the perfect way to use up vegetables you have laying around in the fridge.

Here’s the recipe:

Serves: 5-6

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 1 tbsp minced garlic
• 1 can salt-free diced tomatoes
• 4 cups vegetable broth
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 1 medium carrot, diced
• 1 small potato, cubed
• 1 medium zucchini, diced
• 1 stalk of celery, diced
• 1 cup cauliflower, chopped into bite-sized pieces
• 1 cup green beans, cut into 2-inch pieces
• 1 can lentils, drained and rinsed
• 3 cups kale, chopped
• Salt and pepper to taste

Directions

1. In a large pot, add the olive oil and sauté the onions and garlic until browned.
2. Add the diced tomatoes, vegetable broth, tomato pasta, carrots and potato and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook until the carrots and potato are fork tender.
3. Add the zucchini, celery, cauliflower, and green beans and continue to cook until they are also tender.
4. Finally, add the lentils and kale and stir to combine well. Simmer until the kale has wilted, then remove from heat and season with salt and pepper to taste.