French Green Lentil and Vegetable Soup

I think I've been on a bit of a soup kick lately. I'm probably making up for the lack of soup making I did in the fall.

Or shall I say, didn't do.

Luckily, the winter doesn't seem to be letting up anytime soon *read in a sarcastic voice*.

These temperatures are just brutal, but I do love making soup so I guess it's good for something. Anyone else having this extremely cold weather right now?

Lentils are packed full of protein and fibre, and their pretty quick and easy to prepare.

This soup is chock-full of veggies like carrots, celery, and onions. It's both gluten-free and vegan, and packed with lentils. Lately I've been making creamy + pureed style soups, namely this Roasted Butternut Squash Soup. But sometimes I just prefer a good hearty soup with lots of texture. And this soup is definitely full of texture.The flavours that the herbs add are so good. I think the thyme particularly adds something special.

It's also good to note that this freezes very well, so feel free to make a double batch!

I highly recommend putting this soup on your to-make list, while the winter weather sticks around. It's full of nutrient dense ingredients. Perfectly comforting to help cure a cold or anything that might be aililng you. 

This soup is a staple in my life right now. Possibly because it's so cold and blustery outside. Soup season is here in full force.

It's healthy and delicious, so why not?

Not to mention it's a cinch to make!

Win!

French Green Lentil and Vegetable Soup

by Jennifer Trennum

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 50-60 minutes

Keywords: saute entree main dish lunch soup/stew gluten-free grain-free protein vegan vegetarian carrots herbs lentils

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Ingredients (4 x 1 cup servings)

• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 1/2 large sweet onion, diced
• 2 large carrots, peeled and chopped
• 2 celery stalks, chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon fresh thyme
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 cup French green lentils
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 2 cups no-salt added vegetable broth
• 2 cups water

Instructions

In a large stockpot, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Saute the onions, carrot, celery, salt and pepper for 6 minutes, until the vegetables are soft and tender and starting to brown.

Add the minced garlic, thyme, and cumin; cook for 1 minute.

Add the lentils, tomato paste, vegetable broth, and water. Bring to a simmer, cover and cook until the lentils are cooked through and tender, about 45 minutes.

Nutritional Information

Serving Size: (1 cup) Calories: 165 Fat: 4g Saturated Fat: 0.5g Cholesterol: 0mg Carbohydrates: 25.8g Sugar: 6g Protein: 7g Sodium: 290mg

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Happy Wednesday!

Homemade Ketchup

This homemade tomato ketchup will blow your socks off! Trust me. This is the good stuff!

You know, you could probably fool your own family into thinking that it's the real thing. But you'll be the only one that knows there's no unnatural ingredients in it.

Are you sold yet?

The best part is that it took me only about 5 minutes to throw together. It's really that EASY. What I love about it is that making it yourself allows you to control exactly what goes into it.

I think Ketchup goes back to pretty much almost everyones childhood. I am right? I can't say I was one of those kids that was obsessed with it, but it was always on the table when we had BBQ burgers and hot dogs or french fries. Oh, and my brother's specialty fried egg sandwiches that he showed me how to make; we always had ketchup on those!

This ketchup is clean and made with all natural simple ingredients that you probably already have on hand. It's amazing on scrambled eggs and many other things, but one of the best ways to enjoy it is dipping french fries and roasted potatoes in it. Oh-so good! That sweet + sour combination is just too irresistible. Most store bought ketchup brands are sweetened with high fructose corn syrup. Instead I used organic sucanat as a sweetener, which is unrefined. Coconut sugar or muscovado sugar (an unrefined brown sugar with a strong molasses flavour) work great as well. 

This stuff is so good you might just be tempted to eat it straight out of the jar. I won't blame you if you do ;)

Homemade Ketchup

by Jennifer Trennum

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Keywords: dips, spreads lunch gluten-free grain-free low-sodium soy-free vegan vegetarian tomatoes summer

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Ingredients (makes about 1 cup)

• 1 can tomato paste
• 1/4 cup water
• 2 tbsp sucanat or coconut sugar or muscovado sugar
• 1/4 - 1/2 tsp sea salt
• 1/4 tsp cumin
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon
• 1/8 tsp ground cloves
• 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar

Instructions

Mix all ingredients together in a measuring jug or small mixing bowl. Store in a sealed mason jar or air tight container.

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