A New Twist on Lentil Soup

The lentil soup my mother made always started with a meaty ham bone after a holiday meal.  I’ve similarly carried on the same tradition of making lentil soup with a ham bone, which means we don’t have it very often. 

Then I happened upon the most amazing tomato lentil soup at Caviar and Bananas while on vacation in Charleston, SC.  Lentils and chick peas were simmered in a rich tomato broth.  My requests for the recipe in store and by email went unanswered, but I was determined to recreate it.  Although not identical, this recipe is pretty delicious, and vegetarian too if you use vegetable broth.  I made up a pot today to have on hand if I run out of time to make dinner during the holiday rush.  It also travels well in a lunch bag and is better the second day. Smart meals take the stress out of “What’s for Dinner?”  

Tomato Lentil Soup

Makes 6 servings

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 medium onion, chopped (about 1 cup)

4 carrots, chopped (about 1 cup)

2 stalks celery, chopped (about ½ cup)

1 teaspoon Italian seasoning

2 cloves garlic, minced

¼ teaspoon ground black pepper

5 cups vegetable or chicken broth*

2 cans (about 15 ounces each) diced tomatoes

1 cup dry lentils

1 can (about 15 ounces) chick peas, drained

1.      Heat oil in large pot over medium-high heat.  Add onion, carrot, celery, garlic, Italian seasoning and pepper.  Cook and stir for 5 minutes or until tender.

2.      Add broth, tomatoes, lentils and chick peas.  Heat to a boil.  Reduce heat and simmer for 45 minutes or until lentils are tender, stirring occasionally. 

Nutrition Information per serving: 203 calories, 7 g. total fat, 1 g. saturated fat, 1 mg. cholesterol, 762 mg. sodium, 28 g. carbohydrate, 6 g. dietary fiber, 7 g. sugar, 9 g. protein

*If you like a brothier soup, increase the broth to 6 cups.

The No-Carb Challenge!

I'm in the middle of the second 17-day cycle of the diet and carbs are back!  BUT there are rules.  You can have 2 servings per day every other day from a select list of carbs.  There's one more catch...they must be consumed before 2pm.  I really wanted some Italian comfort food for dinner Sunday night, specifically lasagna.  Hence my no-carb challenge. 

I've done vegetable lasagnas before, however, without the pasta to absorb some of the moisture from the veggies the dish can turn out watery or bland.  Since thinly sliced eggplant and zucchini are the perfect substitution for the lasagna noodles, I decided to grill them first.  Not only did it cook off some of the moisture, it added another dimension of flavor.  As you can see from the picture the lasagna cuts beautifully after the 15 minute stand time.  The dish satisfied my craving for Italian....so much so that we had it two nights in a row! 

Grilled Vegetable Lasagna

Makes 8 servings

Turkey Meat Sauce, recipe follows

2 medium eggplants (about 1 pound each)

1 large or 2 medium zucchini squash (about 1 pound)

2 tablespoons olive oil

3 cups plain nonfat Greek yogurt

1 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

1/2 cup egg substitute or 2 eggs, slightly beaten
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
Nonstick cooking spray

1. Prepare Turkey Meat Sauce.
2. Cut eggplant and zucchini lengthwise into 1/4-inch thick slices.

3. Brush the eggplant and zucchini with olive oil.
4. Grill eggplant and zucchini slices over medium heat for 3 to 5 minutes on each side or until tender. Set aside.

5. Mix yogurt, cheese, egg substitute and black pepper.

6. Spray a 13 x 9 x 2-inch baking dish with cooking spray.  Spoon    1 1/2 cups meat sauce over the bottom of the baking dish.  Layer half the eggplant slices over the meat sauce, overlapping to fit.  Spread half the yogurt mixture over the eggplant. Spoon 1 1/2 cups meat sauce over the yogurt mixture.

7. Top with a layer of the zucchini slices, overlapping to fit.  Spread the remaining yogurt over the zucchini, then top with 1 1/2 cups of the meat sauce and the remaining eggplant slices.  Spoon the remaining meat sauce over the eggplant.

8. Bake at 350 degrees F. for 35 to 40 minutes or until hot and bubbly.  Remove from the oven and let stand for 15 minutes before serving.  Serve with additional shredded Parmesan cheese if desired.

Turkey Meat Sauce

Makes about 6 cups sauce

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
8 ounces sliced baby bella mushrooms
2 carrots, shredded
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 teaspoons dried oregano leaves
1 pound extra lean ground turkey
2 cans (28 ounces each) crushed tomatoes

1. Heat oil in 6 quart pot.  Add onion, mushrooms, carrot, garlic and oregano.  Cook and stir for 8 minutes or until onion is tender. 

2. Add turkey.  Cook until done, stirring constantly to break up meat. 
3. Add tomatoes and heat to a boil.  Reduce heat to low and simmer for 30 minutes.

Tip: This meat sauce would also be delicious served over hot cooked pasta or spaghetti squash.