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.

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I’ve been slightly obsessed with avocados lately. I can’t get enough of them really. A couple of months ago my mom brought me a few of hers from her Costco haul and stuck them in my fridge…I was skeptical of how they would keep but I have to tell you, it has been a game changer. They keep well and longer in the fridge and I just try to remember to pull out my avocado at least a few hours before I’m going to use it to get it down to room temperature.

Another game changer? This green little gadget. I’m not one to collect gadgets unless they are super practical…this avocado cutter/pitter/slicer is amazing. (I won it in a giveaway years ago and just came across it unopened, so glad I did!!)

Is tuna good with avocado?

YES! I love using avocado as a healthier substitute for mayo in tuna salad. To make avocado tuna salad all you do is combine tuna, avocado and lemon juice in a small bowl and mash together with a fork. Season with salt and pepper. Delicious.

I’ve been adding avocado to salad recipes like this Spinach and Arugula Citrus Salad and smeared on toast like this Avocado Feta Toast with Zaatar for a while, but recently I tried mixing it with tuna as a mayo replacement and for an extra nutritional protein boost. Yet, another game changer. If you love avocado and tuna you will love this recipe (or should I say “non-recipe”)! Throw it on a salad like this Avocado Tuna Salad with Spinach or on some multigrain bread or with some crackers. It’s a great (quick) protein packed lunch (or dinner) option.

Nutritional note: don’t be afraid of the fat in avocados. Avocados are full of MUFAS (monounsaturated fatty acids) and our bodies need and benefit from them in countless ways.

(More benefits of avocados found here.)

I’m always looking for ways to add more avocado to my life and this Avocado and Three Bean Salad and this Smoky Cucumber, Radish and Avocado Salad are high on my to-make list!

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Click here to pin this Italian Stuffing recipe!

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There are affiliate links in this post – see my disclosure policy.

It’s a good day when I make a soup that everyone in my family will eat (not counting my youngest – we aren’t there yet with him). This Tomato-Spinach Tortellini Soup from the new Skinnytaste One & Done Cookbook (affiliate link) comes together quickly and easily in the Instant Pot (or any pressure cooker) and has been requested several times by my daughter since we first had it. (If you don’t have a pressure cooker, there are stove-top cooking instructions included in the recipe below as well.)

I wish I could say we are in soup weather season here in Florida – we’re not. But, for me, soup is always in season. Lately I’ve been craving soup more than ever, mostly because it’s easy to heat up for lunch or dinner throughout the week making meals a little easier.

Skinnytaste One & Done Cookbook

This latest Skinnytaste cookbook released at the right time for me – I am trying to get reacquainted with my Instant Pot after not using it for a long time. So there are a few recipes in Gina’s cookbook specifically for the Instant Pot that I want to try like the Unstuffed Cabbage Bowls and Turkey Cheeseburger Soup.

TheSkinnytaste One & Done Cookbook (affiliate link) isn’t just for the Instant Pot. The book’s theme revolves around cooking in one vessel, whether it be a pressure cooker, slow cooker, air fryer, sheet pan, skillet or Dutch Oven. Genius, right? I love it.

A few recipes from One & Done that I know my family will love are Giant Turkey Meatball Parmesan, Shepherd’s Pie Stew and Weeknight Chicken Souvlaki. My friend Brittany who also has the cookbook recently tried Mom’s Skillet Chicken Pot Pie and loved it – that is on my list too!

Because I love sharing new cookbooks with you, I’m giving away a copy of the new Skinnytaste One & Done cookbook along with a $50 gift Amazon gift card (see below) to put towards purchasing a new cooking vessel like the ones in the cookbook. I recently purchased new sheet pans and it made me happy. Sometimes new kitchen items are just what we need to get cooking.

Some of my favorite cooking tools are:

You can find all these kitchen tools on Amazon (affiliate links below, if purchased through these links I make small earnings that do not cost you more).

Slow Cooker (this one from Crock-Pot with stove-top browning has been a game changer for me)

Sheet Pans

Instant Pot

Toaster Oven

Blender (I’m a big Blendtec fan, I’ve had a refurbished one for 6 years strong)

Nonstick Skillets

Dutch Oven (it’s an investment but so worth it – it’s my favorite pot)

Covered Braiser (another investment, but I love it so much)

Giveaway:

Thank you to Skinnytaste for providing a cookbook for the giveaway. The Amazon gift card is sponsored by Aggie’s Kitchen. Good Luck and thank you for entering below.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Skinnytaste cookbook recipes I’ve reviewed in the past:

Spaghetti Squash with Turkey Bolognese from The Skinnytaste Cookbook (affiliate link)

Zoodles with Shrimp and Feta from Skinnytaste Fast and Slow (affiliate link)

What’s in Tomato Spinach Tortellini Soup?

All you need to make this tortellini soup is:

• butter
• chopped celery, carrots and onion
• reduced-sodium vegetable broth
• 2% milk
• crushed tomatoes
• fresh basil
• bay leaves
• three-cheese fresh tortellini
• Pecorino Romano cheese
• kosher salt and ground pepper
• baby spinach

How do you make Tomato Spinach Tortellini Soup in the Instant Pot?

1. Press the saute button on an electric pressure cooker. Add the butter when it has melted, add the celery, carrot and onion. Cook, stirring until tender, 5 to 6 minutes. Add the broth, milk, tomatoes, basil and bay leaves.
2. Seal and cook on high pressure for 20 minutes, until the vegetables are tender. Quick or natural release, then open when the pressure subsides. Discard the bay leaves and puree the soup right in the pot with an immersion blender until smooth (or in a regular blender, in batches).
3. Press the saute button and bring the soup back to a boil. Stir in the tortellini, 1/3 cup of the pecorino, the salt and pepper to taste. Cook according to the pasta package directions, adding the spinach at the last minute. To serve, ladle into 8 bowls and top with pecorino, if desired.

How do you make Tomato Spinach Tortellini Soup on the stove-top?

1. To make this in a large pot or Dutch oven, saute over medium-high heat in step 1. Add 1/4 cup water with the broth. Bring to a boil, then cook, covered, on low heat and double the cook time.
2. Add the tortellini at the end, cooking according to package directions.

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 5 from 3 reviews

Tomato-Spinach Tortellini Soup

• Author: Gina Homolka, Skinnytaste One & Done
• Prep Time: 5 minutes
• Cook Time: 40minutes
• Total Time: 45 minutes
• Yield: 8 servings
• Category: Soup
• Method: Instant Pot
• Cuisine: Italian

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This Tomato-Spinach Tortellini Soup is hearty, yet light. It’s the perfect soup to dig into on a cool winter night or weekend.

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Ingredients

• 1 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 cup finely chopped celery
• 1 cup finely chopped carrot
• 1 cup finely chopped onion
• 4 cups reduced-sodium vegetable broth
• 1 1/2 cups 2% milk
• 1 (28 ounce) can crushed tomatoes
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 (9 ounce) package three-cheese fresh tortellini
• 1/3 cup freshly grated Pecorino Romano cheese
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• freshly ground pepper
• 4 cups (about 2 1/2 ounces) baby spinach

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Instructions

1. Press the saute button on an electric pressure cooker. Add the butter when it has melted, add the celery, carrot and onion. Cook, stirring until tender, 5 to 6 minutes. Add the broth, milk, tomatoes, basil and bay leaves.
2. Seal and cook on high pressure for 20 minutes, until the vegetables are tender. Quick or natural release, then open when the pressure subsides. Discard the bay leaves and puree the soup right in the pot with an immersion blender until smooth (or in a regular blender, in batches).
3. Press the saute button and bring the soup back to a boil. Stir in the tortellini, 1/3 cup of the pecorino, the salt and pepper to taste. Cook according to the pasta package directions, adding the spinach at the last minute. To serve, ladle into 8 bowls and top with pecorino, if desired.

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Notes

To make this in a large pot or Dutch oven, saute over medium-high heat in step 1. Add 1/4 cup water with the broth. Bring to a boil, then cook, covered, on low heat and double the cook time. Add the tortellini at the end, cooking according to package directions.

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Nutrition

• Serving Size: 1 1/2 cups
• Calories: 222
• Fat: 7g
• Saturated Fat: 3.5g
• Carbohydrates: 29g
• Fiber: 3g
• Protein: 11g

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This post was originally published August 15, 2014. Since then, I can’t tell you how many times I’ve made these Turkey and Spinach Baked Tostadas for dinner. This method of baking tostadas has inspired other baked tostadas recipes as well, like these Salsa Chicken and Bean Tostadas and these Slow Cooker Salsa Verde Pork Tostadas.

From August, 2014:

My goal these days is to make one dinner that everyone in my family will eat. It is not easy! As my kids have gotten older, there are foods that they used to like that they no longer like and of course there are foods that one likes and the other does not like. It’s hard to keep track of at times that’s for sure.

For the most part, I don’t tend to make any “special” meals, meaning I won’t make myself crazy by making individual meals driven by pickiness. I do expect my kids to try everything once (or twice, or more…I never give up), but there are some food battles that are just not worth fighting at times. I will, however, try to make our meals where I can leave out certain ingredients or parts of the meal off the plate (more for others). For example…this bean salad I recently made – my son wanted no part of it (that’s fine, he’ll get carrot sticks) and my daughter loves beans but not so much the onions and peppers (no problem, more veggies for me and my husband). I can work with that. Especially when the other part of the meal is something like this recipe for Turkey and Spinach Baked Tostadas that EVERYONE loved (phew!).

This is the kind of recipe I normally don’t think of posting here on the blog. But the more I think about it, the more I realize that most of us are probably in the same situation – busy and trying to feed a family healthy and nutritious meals most of the time. I always feel extra good on the days I accomplish that task so when I make something that works for my family and fits that criteria I will share it here – even if it seems a bit basic. (After 6 years of blogging I have learned that the most basic recipes I’ve shared here on the blog have been the most popular!)

These baked tostadas come together very quickly. I actually cooked up the turkey and spinach mixture earlier in the day which made it even easier to pull together at dinnertime. If you cook your turkey and spinach mixture at dinnertime, make sure it cools down a bit before topping the tortillas to prevent the tortillas from getting soggy.

Make sure you drain your defrosted frozen spinach well before adding it to your pan, if you don’t things might get a little watery but it will eventually cook off. I used my favorite homemade taco seasoning blend from my friend Julie.

Hope your family enjoys these as much as mine did! 🙂

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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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Click here to pin this Smoked Sausage and White Bean Soup with Spinach recipe!

Soup is one of my go-to foods when I feel that I need to reset and recharge my eating habits. It’s filling, it’s healthy (if you make it healthy, of course) and it’s usually really easy to pull together any day of the week.

One of my favorite soups to make is this Smoked Chicken Sausage and White Bean Soup with Spinach.

This soup is filled with staple ingredients that I almost always have in my pantry and fridge. Beans and basic veggies like carrots, celery and onions are really essential ingredients to almost all of my soups so I try to always have them on hand. I love using this chicken apple sausage and usually have a few packages in the freezer (it takes no time at all to defrost!).

It really does make for a perfect weeknight soup and leftovers are great for lunch the next day.

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Click Here to Pin this Spinach and Egg Breakfast Toast recipe.

Well, say hello to my current favorite breakfast. If you read my last newsletter, you know that one of my goals lately is to get more veggies into my day (if you don’t receive my monthly newsletter and want to, sign up here!). It’s not that I love veggies any less than I did before, I’ve just been a little lazy about eating them.

Salads are always my go-to way to up the veggie intake but lately I’ve been challenging myself to get some veggies in at breakfast time. Since I eat eggs most mornings, scrambles are usually how I add veggies in at breakfast but I wanted to change things up.  I’ve been eating this Spinach and Egg Breakfast Toast all week and feeling pretty proud of myself for getting in a serving of spinach bright and early in the day. The spinach cooks up in the tiniest amount of time and once it starts to wilt I just push it to the side in the skillet and add my eggs. While my eggs are cooking I take my spinach out and top my toast with it.

Literally so quick and so easy.

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Are we seriously starting the last week of July? I’m not ready for another summer to end, although technically it doesn’t end for a while but with school lurking around the corner it always feels like the season is over before it really is. That’s not fair, in my opinion. There are so many things I love about every season, but one thing I truly love about summer is all the produce we have available to us. Summer fruits and veggies are my favorite. Right now, I’m absolutely hooked on peaches and my kids and I have been eating them daily. Sweet summer peaches are the best.

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Click here to pin this Strawberry Spinach Salad recipe!

This recipe for Strawberry Spinach and Walnut Salad was originally shared in May 2011 (6 years ago!). I’ve updated this post with new photos for you. It’s still one of my favorite salads and one I’ve been enjoying a lot lately.

Let me introduce you to my salad of the week. Well, let’s say, salad of the season. Because it’s not going anywhere for a while.

I was originally inspired to make this salad for the first time many years ago after seeing it on my friend Tina’s site after she suggested it to me and I have craved it oh so often ever since.

I know salads like this Strawberry Spinach Salad have been floating around for awhile so it’s not the most original recipe. But what I want you to do is look at it more from a nutritional stand point than just as a salad plate. I always seem to fall back on this salad when I’m trying to really lighten up a meal without missing out on flavor and a nutritional boost.

I felt like eating this on it’s own tonight, but it would be perfect with some grilled shrimp, chicken or fish.

So when I say look at this plate of goodness from more of a nutritional standpoint this is what I mean. I don’t always feel like eating a salad. For some reason making at a salad at home is the last thing I want to do. I love eating them out, but at home, eh, too much work maybe? Silly, I know. But when you see how good for you a plate like this is, you can’t help but start to crave it. Well, at least that’s how I work.

Healthy Spinach Strawberry Salad with Walnuts

Spinach (source: Livestrong.com)

• low calorie
• one cup contains more than daily requirements of vitamin K, vitamin A
• high in manganese, folate and magnesium
• excellent source of dietary fiber, calcium and protein
• contains cancer fighting antioxidants
• is known to promote cardiovascular health with high levels of magnesium that can lower high blood pressure levels

Strawberries (source: Livestrong.com)

• rich source of vitamins such as vitamin A, B-complex, C and E
• reduces inflammation in the body
• has higher levels of vitamin C than oranges
• powerful antioxidant
• healthy dose of dietary fiber that aids in reducing bad cholesterol

Walnuts (source: BBC News)

• highest level of antioxidant than any other nut
• great source of protein and omega-3

Like this Spinach Strawberry Salad? Pin It Here!

See what I mean? Good stuff.

I can’t not talk about the salad dressing here. We go through a lot of jelly jars in my house thanks to our healthy obsession with PB&Js so I find myself with almost empty jars pretty often. When the jar has that tiny bit of jelly left at the bottom is the best time to pull it aside to make a salad dressing – right in the jar. I use condiment jars to make vinaigrettes often, like this Mustard and Herb Vinaigrette, and the ideas are pretty endless when you are a condiment collector like we are. So simple, so good.

More homemade vinaigrettes to try:

Clementine Vinaigrette

Honey Balsamic Vinaigrette

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 4.3 from 6 reviews

Strawberry Spinach and Walnut Salad with Raspberry Balsamic Vinaigrette

• Author: Aggie's Kitchen
• Yield: 1 salad
• Category: Salads, Salad Dressings

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This Strawberry Spinach and Walnut Salad with Raspberry Balsamic Vinaigrette is classic – and full of nutrition! One of my favorite salads ever.

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Ingredients

For the salad:

• 2 cups (handfuls) of fresh spinach
• 1 cup sliced fresh strawberries
• 8 walnut halves, rough chopped
• 1 oz crumbled gorgonzola (about a 1/4 of plastic container)
• 1/4 red onion, thinly sliced
• 1/3 avocado, sliced (optional)

For the vinaigrette:

• 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• salt and pepper, to taste
• 1 teaspoon raspberry (or other berry) preserves
• 1 teaspoons stone ground mustard

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Instructions

To prepare salad:

1. Layer each ingredient on a large salad plate. Serve with Raspberry Balsamic Vinaigrette.

To make Raspberry Balsamic Vinaigrette:

1. Combine ingredients in a jar or tightly sealed container. Shake vigorously until well combined.

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Notes

Recipe inspired and adapted from Mommy’s Kitchen

Follow Aggie’s Kitchen’s board Homemade Salad Dressings on Pinterest.

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