I don’t know about you, but I love having a nice hearty soup waiting for me in the fridge, especially on weeknights. I find myself making large pots of soups on Sundays which in turn carry me through the week with leftovers for lunches and an easy dinner.  I love soups just like this Italian Tomato and Lentil Soup with Spinach, full of wholesome protein and vegetables – basically everything you need for a good quick meal in a bowl.

This vegetarian Lentil Soup recipe is especially great for those of you who are trying to incorporate more meatless meals into your daily diet. It’s very filling and satisfying and you can even give it a little more protein and texture by adding broken pieces whole wheat spaghetti or pasta to it (whole wheat pastas are a great way to bump up protein). I love to serve it with grated parmesan cheese (freshly grated if you have it or use my favorite shredded Parmigiano Reggiano from Costco).

Are lentils healthy?

Lentils are not only a staple in an Italian kitchen, but also a vegetarian one. They are a complex carbohydrate and are high protein as well as fiber. They are also naturally gluten-free. It’s no secret they are an absolute powerhouse when it comes to nutrition. If you are looking to boost your protein intake, lentils make a great choice!

More healthy lentil recipes to try:

Mediterranean Lentil Salad

Slow Cooker Lentil and Quinoa Chili

Lentil Salad with Carrots and Cilantro

So delicious.

This Italian Lentil Soup recipe makes a lot of soup – about 15 cups of soup and about 8-10 servings, based on serving size. I like to freeze my leftover soup in 4 cup glass Pyrex containers like these (affiliate link). To defrost, set in refrigerator overnight and warm slowly in a pot over medium heat or in individual bowls in microwave. Add additional liquid if needed.

Ingredients for Italian Tomato and Lentil Soup

How To Make Italian Tomato and Lentil Soup

1. In a large pot, heat olive oil and add diced carrots, celery, onion, pepper and minced garlic. Season with 2 pinches of salt and fresh ground pepper. Saute vegetables in oil for about 7-10 minutes until soft and fragrant.
2. Add lentils, diced tomatoes, vegetable or chicken stock and water to vegetable mixture. Add 2 more pinches of salt.
3. Bring soup to a slow boil over medium high heat for a few minutes, then back down to a simmer over low heat. Simmer, with lid half on, for about 35-40 minutes stirring occasionally, until soup starts to thicken.
4. Taste for salt and pepper as its cooking and add more water if it gets too thick. The lentils will absorb most of the liquid in the soup while cooking but you’ll still want it to have liquid once done cooking.
5. In the last 5 minutes of cooking, add fresh spinach leaves to soup and gently stir to combine.
6. Serve with freshly grated Parmesan cheese, and lots of it!

Healthy Soup Recipes

Soup is one of my go to meals when I’m trying to trim some pounds or just generally feel healthier. Some soups I tend to make often are  Slow Cooker Italian Sausage and Kale Soup with Sweet Potatoes, Slow Cooker Split Pea Soup, Italian Vegetable Beef Soup and Healthy Chicken Tortilla Soup.

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Italian Tomato and Lentil Soup with Spinach

• Author: Aggie Goodman
• Prep Time: 10 minutes
• Cook Time: 40 minites
• Total Time: 0 hours
• Yield: 8-10 servings
• Category: Soup
• Method: Stove
• Cuisine: Vegetarian

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Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 3 carrots, diced
• 2–3 celery stalks, diced
• 1 large onion, diced
• 3–4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 red bell pepper, diced
• 1lb dried lentils
• 2 15 oz cans diced Italian tomatoes, with liquid
• 4 cups vegetable (or chicken) stock
• 5 cups water
• 2 1/2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
• 4 pinches kosher salt and fresh ground pepper, divided
• 10 oz bag fresh spinach
• fresh grated Parmesan, for serving

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Instructions

1. In a large pot, heat olive oil and add diced carrots, celery, onion, pepper and minced garlic. Season with 2 pinches of salt and fresh ground pepper. Saute vegetables in oil for about 7-10 minutes until soft and fragrant.
2. Add lentils, diced tomatoes, vegetable or chicken stock and water to vegetable mixture. Add 2 more pinches of salt.
3. Bring soup to a slow boil over medium high heat for a few minutes, then back down to a simmer over low heat. Simmer, with lid half on, for about 35-40 minutes stirring occasionally, until soup starts to thicken.
4. Taste for salt and pepper as its cooking and add more water if it gets too thick. The lentils will absorb most of the liquid in the soup while cooking but you’ll still want it to have liquid once done cooking.
5. In the last 5 minutes of cooking, add fresh spinach leaves to soup and gently stir to combine.
6. Serve with freshly grated Parmesan cheese, and lots of it!

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Notes

This recipe makes about 15 cups of soup and about 8-10 servings, based on serving size. I like to freeze my leftover soup in 4 cup glass Pyrex containers like these (affiliate link). To defrost, set in refrigerator overnight and warm slowly in a pot over medium heat or in individual bowls in microwave. Add additional liquid if needed.

The post Italian Tomato and Lentil Soup with Spinach appeared first on Aggie's Kitchen.

We are officially in my favorite food season. All the fresh vegetables! I have to say, in Florida we are in this season most of the year, but when the weather is as hot as it is right now all I crave is cool, refreshing salads like this Cucumber Avocado Salad.

I have made this simple salad several times over the last few weeks and each time I make it my daughter and husband dish out the compliments. They are currently the only salad eaters in the family (in addition to me) although my oldest son does like his veggies, just served in a more deconstructed version and not in salad form. I’m good with it.

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My sister in law sent me a pin of this recipe that she made and loved recently and I couldn’t get it out of my mind, it looked like my kind of soup. Of course, I don’t usually have the ingredients I need to make recipes when I’m ready to make them – let’s just say that I’m a natural and determined improviser when I’m hungry or in the mood to cook.

This Beef and Tomato Vegetable Soup is the perfect example of using whatever ingredients you have on hand to make something delicious and good for you too.

Cooking with Swiss Chard

I have been swooning over all the pretty Swiss chard I’ve been seeing in the grocery store and decided to add it to this soup. Swiss chard reminds me of my grandpa, he introduced it to me from his garden – he grew a ton of it every summer. I love how versatile it is, I tend to treat it like I do spinach or kale by adding it to soups like this or simply sautéing it as a side dish.

To prepare swiss card, simply fold longways and cut away the leafy part away from the stem. From there you can roll up the large chard leaves and slice into ribbons. Chop the stems separately. (Check out this post for a visual graphic on how to prepare swiss chard!)

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I was introduced to delicata squash by my mom 7 years ago when she brought some to my house after receiving it in her weekly CSA basket from one of her local farms. At the time, both of us didn’t eat a lot of meat and she was excited to share this vegetarian stuffed delicata squash recipe she pulled together with me. My mom has always been good at pulling together meals with whatever she has on hand – I like to think I got those skills from her.

This Stuffed Delicata Squash recipe was originally posted in January of 2011 (see below). Ironically, my mom was here “saving the day” again a couple of weeks ago, just as I picked up a few delicata squash at Trader Joe’s. I love how Trader Joe’s can make an ingredient so popular, especially when it’s a fruit or vegetable. If you don’t have a Trader Joe’s near you, no worries, you can find delicata squash mixed in with the selection of hard squashes (spaghetti squash, acorn squash, butternut squash) at most grocery stores.

The filling in this recipe is made with garlic, onion, spinach and white beans. If you prefer to include meat, swap out the beans for cooked crumbled Italian sausage.

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Believe it or not, after a fun-filled, relaxing summer, we are gearing up for back-to-school life. In fact, today is my kids’ official first day of school. I know, it just doesn’t seem right to start this early, does it? I say this every year.

With the transition to back-to-school comes a new schedule and routine that we are all very familiar with – one that includes homework, after school activities and sports and alarm clocks. For me, it means getting on the ball with putting dinner on the table – a meal that is nutritious, will be eaten by everyone and comes together easily. Back-to-school means it’s time for the slow cooker to help out in the kitchen during the week. My family loves creamy soups made with milk and this Slow Cooker Creamy Chicken and Wild Rice Soup is one I make for them often. It’s filled with chicken, vegetables, whole grains and dairy that provides them with the fuel they need to jump back into their busy school life.

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I am desperately trying to change up the easy weeknight dinner game these last few weeks. I’m looking through cookbooks and magazines for ideas and something new to try. My friend Robyn of the popular blog Add A Pinch just released her new cookbook and it couldn’t have arrived at my doorstep at a better time.

Robyn is one of those friends I’ve known since my very early days of blogging, yet have never met in person. I think we have to change that this year Robyn!!! Her cookbook, the Add A Pinch Cookbook is one of the most beautiful cookbooks I’ve seen, filled with gorgeous photos of recipes that have a Southern flair using fresh, seasonal ingredients. I’m all about those fresh seasonal ingredients, as you know.

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Click here to pin this Slow Cooker Chicken and Farro Chili recipe.

My obsession with farro continues. I’ve been adding farro to salads for a while now, but the last couple of months I’ve been adding it to soup, and more recently this Slow Cooker Chicken and Farro Chili. Farro is an incredible addition to any soup or chili because of it’s hearty texture. This chili includes chicken but if you wanted to make it vegetarian it would be just as great with extra beans and vegetable broth.

If you are getting hit with the cold weather and snow that I’m seeing everywhere on the news and social media, then you more than likely have soup on the brain right now. There’s nothing better than pulling out your slow cooker to let it do the work all day especially with pantry staples like Bush’s Chili Beans. Our Florida weather isn’t what you would call soup weather right now, but I am a soup girl all year ’round!

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I was introduced to baked salmon cakes long ago, by my husband and his family. Did anyone else grow up eating these? I did not, but I have a feeling if I made these for my parents and grandparents, they would love them. Canned salmon isn’t something I typically pick up at the grocery store, but I always grab it at Costco. It’s a great deal for a 6 pack and I have found the quality of it is very good.

What is the best canned salmon?

For the best health benefits from the salmon, make sure to look for wild salmon. I like Bear & Wolf brand, though recently, I’ve been getting the Kirkland brand and it’s great to use in the Cajun baked salmon cakes.

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We have been lucky to know a few people with hens over the years, one being a friend who once came over with an incredible box. This box full of eggs. Apparently his hens were happy hens.

More recently, we got these from a neighbor…they have been supplying us with a good amount of fresh eggs for the last few years and I am ever so grateful!

How gorgeous are those eggs??

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One big thing I’ve been doing lately is trying to cook from my cookbooks more. I have a huge cookbook collection that I covet, yet sadly they are just sitting pretty on a shelf in my kitchen the last couple of years. How did that happen? (The internet, that’s how). Well, things are changing. My kids have heard me talk about how I miss cooking from my cookbooks and they’ve been pulling some off the shelves and onto the kitchen table lately so that we can look through them and find something to try. This has been fun for all of us!

I bought this cookbook last year when it came out – Aarti was one of my FAVORITE Next Food Network Star contestants and I watched her show regularly after she won her season (did she win her season? I can’t remember now). Total sadness that it is no longer on air. My daughter loved her show too, and my husband and I pretty much were introduced to Indian food because of her (LOVE). This recipe for Kheema comes from her cookbook and made it to our meal plan this past week. We loved it.

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