Lentil Salad with Grapes, Apple and Feta

My mom is a magazine junkie. She subscribes to at least a dozen cooking and decorating magazines, and every year for Christmas she gifts my sister-in-law and myself each a handful of subscriptions. Sometimes I struggle to have time to read to read them all each month, but I always eventually work my way through them and tear out and save any recipes I might want to make. Each year, she switches up the magazines I receive, but out of those four or five, I always receive Living and Everyday Food. EDF is easily the magazine from which I try the most recipes.

The other day I was skimming through my binder of clippings and came across this lentil salad. I don't remember saving it, and I'll admit wasn't the most eye catching salad in terms of vibrancy, but I'm sure it was the ingredients that caused me to add it to my to-try collection. Lentils, feta, red grapes, walnuts and thyme are all things I absolutely love. Since I had everything on hand I decided to whip up this salad and then just because it seemed like it would be a nice addition, I included a green apple.

As I was in the middle of putting this together, I sampled a bite and at first, found it so-so. But once I seasoned it with salt, pepper and thyme and added the feta, the flavors just popped and became something I immensely enjoyed. This a wonderful make ahead salad, which can be stored in an airtight container container for up to 3 days. I tinkered with the quantities in order to make it 3 servings, so it would be perfect for people who like to make a salad to take for several days of work lunches. It holds up great and is just as delicious on day three.

Lentil Salad with Grapes, Apple and Feta
adapted from Everyday Food
serves 3

1 cup water
1/2 cup green or brown lentils, rinsed and picked over
2 tbsp lemon juice
1 tbsp red wine vinegar
2 tsp honey
2 tbsp olive oil
1 Granny Smith apple, seeded and diced
1 cup red grapes, halved
1 celery stalk, thinly sliced
1/3 cup toasted walnut pieces
1/3 cup crumbled feta (I used reduced fat)
1/2 tsp dried thyme
kosher salt and fresh ground pepper, to taste
baby spinach leaves, for serving (optional)

In a small saucepan, bring water and lentils to a boil. Cover, reduce heat and simmer for about 20 minutes, or until tender but not mushy. Drain any remaining water, and rinse under cool water and drain again.

Meanwhile in a medium bowl, whisk together vinegar, lemon juice and honey. Next whisk in olive oil. Stir in apples, grapes, celery, walnuts and cooled lentils. Add feta and thyme and then season to taste with salt and pepper. If desired, serve on a small bed of spinach.

Lentil Marinara

I made this recipe a couple weeks ago. Since then, I've considered several different ways to write this blog post, but was never really feeling what I was coming up with, and it got pushed aside.

One evening, I realized that if I hurried, I could probably sneak in making a decent meal before the baby woke up. Needing quick inspiration, I opened my reader up and literally picked the first thing from my bookmarked list: a lentil marinara.

Which I then made. And loved. And then completely couldn't come up with how I wanted to share it with you. So two weeks passed, and I realized I needed to just go ahead and post the recipe, because I didn't want to forget how much I enjoyed it.

I love lentils and I love pasta, so I assumed I'd like this (and really, I picked it that night because it was easy and I had everything on hand), but it was way more delicious than I expected and a nice change from your standard spaghetti.

Lentil Marinara

adapted from Branny Boils Over

serves 5-6

1 tbsp olive oil

1/2 large onion, chopped

1 small red bell pepper, chopped

kosher salt and fresh ground pepper

3 cloves of garlic, minced

1 (28 oz) can of peeled plum tomatoes in tomato juice (snipped using kitchen sheers)

3 oz tomato paste

1 cup of green or brown lentils, rinsed and picked over

1/2 cup red wine

1 tsp dried basil

1 tsp dried oregano

1/2 tsp crushed red pepper, or to taste

1 tbsp balsamic vinegar

hot cooked pasta of choice (I used about 10 oz. of whole wheat spaghetti)

basil chiffonade and freshly grated parmesan, for serving

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion and bell pepper and season with salt and pepper. Cook for 5 minutes, then add garlic and cook for another minute.

Add canned tomatoes, paste, lentils, red wine and dried seasonings. Stir well. Bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat and simmer for about 30 minutes or until lentils are tender.

Stir in balsamic vinegar. Taste and adjust salt if needed. Serve over cooked pasta, topping with basil and parmesan, as desired.

Red Lentil Vegetable Stew

This recipe is the result of me going in a totally different direction than intended. With a stockpile of carrots in the crisper, I had my mind made up on a creamy carrot soup. All day, that was my intention, and I'd browse a recipe or two for inspiration, think about it some more, look through some more recipes, do a little more brainstorming. You get the idea.

I knew I wanted red lentils in it, and I was also thinking along the lines of ginger, cilantro, coconut milk...but then when I began pulling out the ingredients to make my soup, I completely switched gears. Suddenly it began to have an more Italian influence, with tomato base, more veggies, and a chunky consistency instead of a pureed one.

And it wound up being exactly what I was really in the mood for. Isn't it funny how that works out sometimes?

Red Lentil Vegetable Stew

4-6 servings (it's very hearty and filling, so probably more like 6)

2 tbsp canola or olive oil (I used a blend of the two)

3 large carrots, in medium dice

2 stalks celery, chopped

1 large red bell pepper, chopped

1 medium onion, chopped

kosher salt and fresh ground pepper

3 cloves garlic, minced

3 cups vegetable stock

1 cup red lentils, rinsed

28 oz. can Italian-style crushed tomatoes

1/2 tsp Italian seasoning

1 tsp dried oregano

1 tsp crushed red pepper (or to taste)

2 bay leaves

2 1/2 cups coarsely chopped fresh spinach (stems removed)

grated parmesan, for serving

Heat oil in a Dutch Oven or large stock pot over medium heat. Add carrots, celery, pepper and onion. Season with a good bit of salt and a generous amount of pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are becoming soft, about 10 minutes. Add garlic and cook another minute or two.

Add stock, lentils, crushed tomatoes, Italian seasoning, oregano, crushed pepper and bay leaves. Bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat and simmer for 30-40 minutes or until lentils are tender but not mushy. Taste and adjust salt and pepper, if needed. Remove and discard bay leaves.

Stir in chopped spinach and give a few minutes to wilt. Top each serving with grated parmesan, as desired.

Caramelized Onion, Lentil and Carrot Soup

Not too long ago, I was going through a bunch of older magazines, and I came across a recipe for a Caramelized Onion and Lentil Soup. The combination made me think of Mujadara, only without the rice. But unlike that tasty dish, the soup used canned lentils, and onions cooked quickly at a high heat. It's the slowly caramelized onions which gave Mujadara its flavor, and I didn't see how the soup would be good without taking the time to cook the onions until they reached a deep golden color.

When a gloomy day called for soup, and I had the time to spend babysitting a pot of onions, I decided to make my own version, with the addition of carrots. Thinking back to Mujadara, I recalled how I had first garnished it with yogurt, but then later enjoyed the leftovers even more with a squeeze of lemon. For the soup, I went with the lemon, and it brightened and enhanced it wonderfully, along with a sprinkle of chopped parsley. I knew I'd love this, but I honestly wasn't sure if Sage would be too crazy for it. My worries were quite unnecessary, and the only problem with the soup was that I should've doubled it, since we ate in all in one sitting, along with some hot, crusty wheat bread.


This is my submission to the Charity Souper Bowl, hosted by Branny Boils Over, where for every soup entry (along with a dedication to a special animal) she will donate $1 to ASPCA. I dedicate this post to my greatly missed Soma. She was the first pet Sage and I ever had together, and the sweetest, most loving cat I have ever had. Unadoptable, we took her in as a foster, knowing she had feline leukemia and that she might only be with us for a short time. Instead she was with us for five years and brought me so much joy. It's been almost exactly three years since she lost her, and I still miss her so much every time I think of her.

Caramelized Onion, Lentil and Carrot Soup

serves 2-3

Inspired by a recipe I saw in a magazine but didn't save and my memories of the Mujadara from this post, originally adapted from Orangette

In my opinion, the squeeze of lemon is what really makes this soup, so I'd highly suggest not skipping it!

2 tbsp olive oil

3 medium yellow onions, thinly sliced (about 6 cups)

1 cup carrots in medium dice (3-4 carrots)

kosher salt and fresh ground pepper

2/3 cup green (or brown) lentils, rinsed and picked over

3 1/2 cups vegetable broth

chopped parsley, for serving

lemon wedges, for serving

Heat oil in a Dutch Oven or other large nonstick pot over medium heat. Add onions and cook, stirring often, until a deep golden brown, about 40 minutes. (You can add a tsp or two of water a few times during the caramelizing process if the bottom of the pan is becoming too brown.) Add carrots and a few pinches of salt and cook for an additional 5 minutes.

Use about a half cup of broth to deglaze the pot. Add remaining broth, lentils and a generous amount of ground pepper and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer until lentils are just tender, about 20-25 minutes.

Ladle into serving bowls, top with chopped parsley and serve with a lemon wedge or two.

Mujadara

My grandma, who will be turning 96 next month, is one spunky lady. She managed to live alone into her nineties- still puttering around in her yard daily- but eventually it was decided she would be safer living with my mom. For the first three years, her house sat empty. But when my brother and sister-in-law found out they were having another child, it only made sense for them to move into the significantly bigger house. But that meant 50-plus years of stuff had to be sorted through, claimed, donated and sold first.

I was able to nab some special treasures, including a set of various sized glass bowls (very Smitten Kitchen-ish), the gorgeous teal serving dish from this post, and a set of glass canisters with cork stoppers, among other items. Once I emptied the canisters of their ancient contents and soaked off the 70's-era labels, I had some fun new vessels to store some of my bulk grains and legumes. Now, I am very anti-clutter when it comes to my kitchen counters. By the stove is my olive oil decanter, and salt and pepper. That's it. You will find no toaster, coffee pot, knife set, not even my Kitchen Aid mixer on display. But I decided I could spare a little space for my grandma's canisters.


One day, inspired by seeing brown rice and green lentils side by side, I decided to google those ingredients to see what might come up, and discovered endless versions of Mujadara, a simple Middle Eastern dish of rice or sometimes bulgur, lentils and caramelized onions. I was intrigued and filed it away for another day. When I went to make it, I began looking for which recipe I wanted to use. My search ended when I saw Molly at Orangette had a version of it from several years back.

Despite that fact, there is so little to it, this recipe is very full of flavor, thanks to the caramelized onions. Most versions I saw had them piled on top; in Molly's they are incorporated throughout. I used long grain brown rice instead of basmati, but next time, I may go with the quicker cooking bulgur. With the caramelizing of the onions and the time to cook the rice, this dish takes a while. From pulling out the onions and the cutting board to plating it, it was over 2 hours, but little of that is hands on time and it is seriously good stuff. And what an inexpensive and high-protein vegetarian meal, not to mention one made of pantry staples.

Molly suggests pairing it with a green salad, but I've been serving everything with a salad lately so I opted for roasted carrots instead. Sage chose to eat his Mujardara plain, while Beckett and I had ours with greek yogurt and chopped parsley. I had the leftovers with a squeeze of lemon, which was probably my favorite.

Mujardara (moo-jha-dra)
adapted slightly from Orangette
This is said to serve 4-6, but for us, it was more like 3 dinner sized servings.

1/4 cup olive oil
1 1/2 large yellow onions, chopped
1 cup green or brown lentils, picked over
1/2 cup uncooked brown rice
2 cups water
1 tsp kosher salt, plus extra for serving

to serve: greek yogurt or sour cream and parsley or lemon wedges (optional)

In a large skillet or Dutch oven, heat the oil of medium. Add onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until deeply caramelized and even burnt in spots. This will take about 45 minutes to an hour.

While onions are cooking, place lentils in a medium saucepan, cover with an inch of water. Bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes. Drain lentils and set aside.

Once the onions are caramelized to a rich shade of amber, stir in rice. Add cooked lentils, water and salt. Mix well and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat and continue cooking at a slow simmer. Once all the water is absorbed and rice is tender, it is done. For me, this took about 40 minutes.

If desired, top with a dollop of yogurt/sour cream and sprinkle with chopped parsley, or serve with lemon wedges.

Lemony Lentil Salad with Feta

My jar of lentils has been staring back at me everytime I open the pantry. I love them, but now that its gotten so hot, I'm really into lighter fare, like salads and grilled veggies...not the hearty soups I usually put lentils into. I wanted to try them in a cold salad, but I've only ever had red lentils that way, and didn't want to waste ingredients if it wasn't going to be any good. A quick google search enlightened me that there are tons of recipes for green and brown lentils out there, and I almost immediately found just what I had in mind.

This was every bit as wonderful as I'd hoped. It was one of those meals that made me question why on earth I eat meat, when eating vegetarian can be that delicious. Seriously, that was what ran through my head. I stuffed the salad into a whole wheat pita, which made it even more awesome and it was filling enough to be a complete meal. Eating Well gives the tip that you can make it up to 8 hours ahead. Don't ask me why only 8 hours, though. I took my chances and brought it for lunch the next day. It was just as tasty and I'm still alive.

I'm very excited to point out that this has raw onion in it. I have not been able to eat raw onion in 3 years since becoming pregnant. It was an aversion that didn't go away. It completely overpowered what I was eating and I was left for days with the taste. I kept trying it, with no luck. But raw onion can do so much for certain dishes, and I was determined to eat it again. This time, I used a small amount and soaked it first in ice water to remove some of the bite, and I was able to eat it!

Lemony Lentil Salad with Feta, adapted from Eating Well

serves 2 as a meal with pita, probably 4 as a side

1/2 cup green (or brown) lentils, rinsed and picked over

1 cup water

1/3 cup diced red bell pepper

1/3 cup diced green bell pepper

1/4 cup chopped red onion (soaked in cold water for 10 minutes and drained)

1/2 medium cucumber, peeled, seeded and diced (about 2/3 cup)

2 oz. feta (I used reduced fat,) diced

whole wheat pita, for serving

for the dressing:

juice from a lemon (2 1/2 tbsp)

1 tbsp dijon

2 tbsp olive oil

1 tbsp chopped fresh parsley

1/4 tsp dried dill

1/8 tsp salt

fresh ground pepper

Bring lentils and water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Cover, reduce heat and simmer until just tender, making sure not to overcook, about 20 minutes. Remove from heat and rinse under cold water.

Once lentils are cool, add to a bowl, with bell peppers, onion, cucumber and feta.

Wisk together all dressing ingredients together in a small bowl. Pour over salad, and toss.

Serve stuffed in pita bread, if desired.

Lentil and Winter Vegetable Cobbler

Okay, so it suddenly might be feeling a lot less like winter where we live, but that didn't stop me from totally abandoning my dinner plans last night when I spotted this recipe. Just prior to starting dinner, I was flipping through Practical Vegetarian, which I've had for years and somehow have never made anything from. This vegetable and lentil bake topped with cheesy biscuits caught my eye, and other than some rutabagas I had everything needed. While slightly more time consuming than I anticipated, it was well worth it. The lentils make it very hearty, and Sage said he definitely didn't miss the meat in this.

Once assembled, this dish bakes for 20 minutes, is topped with the biscuits, and then returned to the oven for an additional 10-12 minutes, at a higher temperature. I realized after nearly 10 minutes than I'd forgotten to increase the temperature. I turned it up and cooked it for another 8 minutes or so, and it was perfect- the veggies and lentils were tender, but not overcooked, and the biscuits were just right. I will write it as the recipe specifies but I can't say from experience if that cooking time is just right. This yummy cobbler took a little over an hour from start to finish, but actually comes together easily, and you could certainly swap out the vegetables for whichever ones you have on hand.

adapted from Practical Vegetarian

1 tbsp olive oil
1 small onion, diced
sea salt
2 celery ribs, sliced
3 carrots, sliced
1/3 large head of cauliflower, broken into florets (about 3 cups)
1 clove garlic, minced
4 oz. button mushrooms, sliced
1 (14.5 oz.) can of petite diced tomatoes
1/4 cup green or brown lentils, rinsed and picked over
2 tbsp cornstarch
3 tbsp water
1 cup vegetable stock
2 tbsp hot sauce
2 tsp chopped fresh oregano
fresh ground pepper

biscuit topping:
1 1/2 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1 tbsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1/4 cup unsalted butter
1 cup shredded sharp cheddar (I used 2%)
2 tsp chopped oregano
1 egg, beaten
2/3 cup reduced fat milk

Preheat oven to 350. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onions, salt, and sweat for 5 minutes. Add celery, carrots, and cauliflower and saute for 2 minutes. Add garlic to pan, and cook for another minute. Stir in mushrooms, tomatoes with their juices and lentils.

Mix together the cornstarch and water until smooth and add to pan, along with the stock, hot sauce, oregano and several grinds of pepper. Bring to a boil, stirring. Transfer to a 3 qt. baking dish and cover with foil. Bake for 20 minutes.

To make biscuit topping, stir flour, salt and baking powder in a large bowl. Using a pastry cutter, cut in butter. Stir in cheese and oregano. Mix together beaten egg and milk, and add enough to the dry ingredients to make a soft dough. Reserve leftover milk and egg mixture. Knead dough lightly, and roll out to 1/2 inch thickness. Cut into 2 inch rounds. (I don't have a biscuit cutter, so I used a 3 inch flower shaped cookie cutter.)

Remove the dish from the oven, and increase the temperature to 400. Arrange the biscuits on top of the cobbler, and brush with remaining egg and milk. (My wonderful husband was helping me, by doing the dishes and unknowingly washed the bowl containing my leftover milk and egg, so I skipped this step.)

Bake, uncovered, for an additional 10-12 minutes or until the topping has risen and is golden. (Without the wash, mine didn't become golden, but they did rise nicely.) Let rest a few minutes before serving.

Lentil Chickpea Soup

Yep, another soup. I just really like soups. I could eat a bowl of soup every day pretty much. Another thing I absolutely love is legumes. I truly could (and often do) eat legumes of one kind or another every day. Two of my favorites are chickpeas and lentils, but prior to this I'd never before prepared anything with those two together.

I made this soup one day when I was in the mood to spend the entire afternoon in the kitchen (the same day that I made the quiche and also baked cookies.) It was a great way to use up some veggies I had on hand. It was quite good, although I do think its going to be hard to find a lentil soup I like more than the Sweet Potato Lentil Stew- but we still really enjoyed it. And it was even better as leftovers. Sage added some chopped grilled chicken breast to his, but B and I just had ours topped with some parmesan cheese. (In the picture you'll see some parsley as well, but I found I preferred it more without. My attempt to take new pictures without parsley didn't work out for me though so pretend its not there.)

1 tbsp olive oil
2 celery ribs, diced
2 large carrots, peeled and diced
1 zucchini, chopped
1 small onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
sea salt and fresh ground pepper
1 (14.5 oz.) can diced tomatoes, with juice
1 (15 oz.) can of low sodium chickpeas, drained and rinsed
2 cups vegetable stock
1/2 cup tomato sauce (or a spoonful of tomato paste- I just had tomato sauce already open)
1 bay leaf
several sprigs of fresh thyme
1 1/2 cups water
3/4 cup regular green (or brown) lentils, rinsed and picked over
shredded parmesan, for serving

In a stock pot, heat oil over medium heat. Add celery, carrots, zucchini, onion and garlic to pot and season with salt and pepper. Saute until onion begans to become translucent, about 5 minutes. Add tomatoes, chickpeas, stock, tomato sauce, bay leaf and thyme sprigs. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 40 minutes or until carrots are tender.

Meanwhile, combine lentils and water in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Boil for 2 minutes, reduce heat, cover and simmer for 25-30 minutes or until lentils are tender but not mushy. Stir into stock pot.

Remove bay leaf and thyme sprigs. Season with extra salt and pepper if needed. Top with parmesan before serving.

Lentil Walnut Burgers

When I first saw this recipe in my Google reader a while back, I knew it was something I wanted to try. In fact, I planned on making these burgers immediately as I had the ingredients on hand, but somehow it didn't happen. Then I forgot about them. Recently I was perusing the blog where I'd first seen them, Cara's Cravings- which is full of a healthy, yet certainally never boring, recipes- while looking for new vegetarian dishes to try. Seeing this recipe again, I knew I couldn't let them get away from me a second time and made them the next day.

Originally a Moosewood Cookbook recipe, Cara had altered it a bit, changing hers from Lentil Walnut Burgers to ones made with pecans, and topped with sliced apples and blue cheese crumbles and seasoned with thyme. I choose to make mine with walnuts, just because I prefer them over pecans, and also to skip the apples but keep the blue cheese and the thyme. They were wonderful and we loved how they paired with the cheese.

Now here's the beauty of these tasty burgers: you don't just have to do the patty on a bun thing. The next day after I made them, I worked late, and when I got home, Sage repurposed them as a filling for delicious meatless quesadillas, along with sauteed mushrooms, tomatoes and white cheddar. Then the next day for lunch, I crumbled one over a salad with blue cheese and a drizzle of olive oil and vinegar dressing. I'm not a big fan of eating of same thing for days on end, but a busy schedule left cooking new things everyday hard, so I loved how they worked in several different ways. They can also be frozen. I will definitely be making these again soon.

Lentil-Walnut Burgers, adapted slightly from Cara's Cravings (originally from Mollie Katzen/Moosewood)

3/4 cup green lentils (or brown)

1 1/2 cups water

2 tablespoons cider vinegar

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 cup minced onion

4 large cloves garlic, minced

8 oz mushrooms, minced

1/2 cup finely chopped walnuts (or pecans)

sea salt and freshly ground pepper

2 tsp minced fresh thyme or rosemary (I used about a 1/2 tsp dried)

1/2 cup rolled oats

crumbled blue cheese, if desired

Place lentils and water in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer, partially covered, for about 30 minutes, or until the lentils are soft and the liquid is gone.

Meanwhile, heat the oil in a medium-sized skillet. Add onion and saute over medium heat for about 5 minutes. Add the mushrooms and garlic and saute for about 5-10 minutes more, until the vegetables are soft. Add the thyme, the walnuts, and season with salt & pepper. Set aside to cool while the lentils finish cooking.

When the lentils are done, place in a bowl and mash with the vinegar. Add the sauteed vegetables and the oats and mix well. Chill for about an hour.

Preheat broiler. Form the lentil mixture into six equal sized patties ( I actually got 7 patties) and place on a baking sheet. Broil for about 8 minutes on each side. If desired, top the burgers with the blue cheese and broil for one minute more, or until cheese is melted.

Sweet Potato Lentil Stew

You know the kind of meal that you enjoy so much that for hours after you eat it, you keep thinking of it? And then the next day, you can't wait to have the leftovers for lunch? And then because you enjoyed it so much the second time, you are giddy because there is still enough for yet another bowl the next day? For me, that was this stew. It even made me doubt myself as a good wife and mother, because I wanted to hide the last of it deep in the fridge just to make sure I was the one who got it.

The funny thing is I stumbled upon this by accident. I knew I wanted a cozy vegetarian meal for dinner. I was wanting soup, and at first I was thinking a lighter version of cream of mushroom. Then remembering I had some lentils, I began searching for mushroom lentil soup recipes. After not finding anything I wanted to make, I decided to check out my favorite blog, A Year in the Kitchen. Ashlee always has great vegetarian recipes as well as lots of soups and stews. Her Butternut Squash and Lentil Soup caught my eye, but I didn't have a butternut or the garam masala, or the time to cook it in a slow cooker. I thought about how butternut and sweet potato are often interchangable in recipes, and after doing a search, found many soups and stews with the combination of sweet potato and lentils.

This stove top version is similar to Ashlee's, only with additional veggies, and spiced with a bay leaf and curry powder instead of the garam masala. I'm not the biggest fan of curry powder usually, but I'm so glad I went to ahead with recipe. The curry wasn't overpowering and gave it a delicious flavor. I did make some minor changes by adjusting quanities, and left out the frozen greens beans it called for. I didn't have any fresh and I don't care for the frozen ones. I also added some tomato paste, which helped thicken it. The recipe suggested topping it with plain yogurt and cilantro at the end, neither of which I had. When I make this again (and you bet I will!) I will make sure to have the cilantro because I love what it adds to soups, but a dallop of lite sour cream worked wonderfully with this. Sage added some diced chicken breasts to his, but afterwards said he would've enjoyed it just as much without the meat.

slightly adapted from wholeliving, about 4 servings

2 tablespoons olive oil

1/2 large onion, chopped

1 cup of julienne-cut carrots

2 medium celery ribs, chopped
1 bay leaf
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 teaspoons curry powder

4 cups water
1 1/4 cups dried brown or green lentils, picked over and rinsed
2 small to medium sweet potatoes, peeled and cut in 1/2-inch dice (about 3 cups)
1 (14 1/2-ounce) can diced tomatoes in juice
2 tbsp tomato paste
Kosher salt and fresh ground pepper
Plain low-fat yogurt or lite sour cream, for serving

Chopped cilantro, if desired

In a large saucepan, heat oil over medium-high. Add onion, carrots, celery, and bay leaf. Cook, stirring, until vegetables are softened, 5 to 7 minutes. Add garlic and curry powder and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute more.

Add water and lentils. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, cover, and cook 10 minutes. Add potatoes and continue to cook, covered, until lentils and potato are just tender, about 20 minutes.

Add tomatoes with juice and tomato paste. Cook until warmed through, 2 to 4 minutes. Remove bay leaf. Season with salt and pepper. Serve with yogurt or sour cream, and sprinkle with cilantro, if desired.

Lentil Sausage Soup with Leeks & Carrots

Two things happened to me today as I was eating a bowl of the leftover soup I made last night. The first was that I decided it was so hot in my house, I was giving up the fantasy that is "Fall" where we live (what a tease those few days were.) I had to close the windows and turn the a/c back on. It was 85 degrees outside again and nearly that in my house. The second thing that occured as I continued eating, I came to the conclusion this soup was too yummy not to put on my blog.

This is where I have to appologize for the a recipe lacking in details.This soup was something I was just making up as I went along. I usually try to pay attention to the amount of ingredients I am using and how long I cook things, but in last night's case, life got in the way (in the form of an adorable little blonde kid) and I honestly can't tell you how long this soup simmered. I have no idea- maybe 20 minutes, maybe an hour. All I can tell you is: its done when the vegetables are tender.

Well, that, and it's its delicious. Sage was really impressed with this one. I particularly enjoyed the what the red wine and thyme- which I think must be a favorite spice of mine- added to this. We served it topped with shredded parmesan and crusty multi-grain bread.

makes 4 bowls

3/4 cup green or brown lentils, rinsed and picked over

1 1/2 cups water

3 links sweet Italian turkey sausage, casings removed

1 stalk of celery, chopped

1/2 medium onion, chopped

1 leek, halved and sliced thin

1 cup coarsely chopped carrots

2 cups broth

1/3 dry red wine

1 (14.5 oz.) can diced tomatoes (I used a roasted garlic & onion flavored)

1 tbsp tomato paste

sea salt and fresh ground pepper

1/2 tbsp dried oregano

1/2 tbsp dried thyme

1 bay leaf

shredded parmesan for serving

Bring lentils and water to boil in a small saucepan. After boiling for 2 minutes, reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 30 minutes or just until tender. Drain if necessary and set aside, covered.

Heat a large soup pot over medium heat> Add sausage, onion, celery and carrots. Using a spoon to break up meat, cook until sausage is no longer pink. Drain any fat. Add leeks and cook for 2 minutes. Add all remaining ingredients. Cover, and simmer until vegetables (especially carrots and celery) are tender.

Stir lentils into soup. Remove bay leaf. Serve with parmesan.