Everything Autumn Part 2

When I think of Autumn, I think of homemade soups. Believe it or not, I'm not a huge fan of soups. Well that's not completely true. I don't like thin, watery soups. I enjoy thick soups or even stew-like soups (sans meat, of course.) I like the occasional clam chowder, but what I truly enjoy are thickened vegetable soups, barley soups, lentil soups, and vegetarian chili.

In consideration with all things Autumn, I recently made lentil soup!

Lentils are a legume and come in a variety of colors (although most popular are the green and brown varieties in the US.) Lentils are nutrient dense high in dietary fiber, protein, and iron among others. They have a nutty-esque flavor. See nutritional data below. (Courtesy of The World's Healthiest Foods.) (Visit website for cool graph too!)

Lentils, cooked 1.00 cup 198.00 grams 229.68 calories
Nutrient	Amount	DV (%)	Nutrient Density	World's Healthiest Foods Rating
molybdenum	148.50 mcg	198.0	15.5	excellent
folate	357.98 mcg	89.5	7.0	excellent
dietary fiber	15.64 g	62.6	4.9	very good
tryptophan	0.16 g	50.0	3.9	very good
manganese	0.98 mg	49.0	3.8	very good
iron	6.59 mg	36.6	2.9	good
protein	17.86 g	35.7	2.8	good
phosphorus	356.40 mg	35.6	2.8	good
copper	0.50 mg	25.0	2.0	good
vitamin B1 (thiamin)	0.33 mg	22.0	1.7	good
potassium	730.62 mg	20.9	1.6	good

Lentil Soup Ingredients
1 quart low sodium vegetable broth
4 peeled, chopped carrots
1 peeled, chopped butternut squash
1 cup red lentils
1 cup green lentils
1 15 oz can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 tsp cilantro
1 tsp black pepper
garlic, as desired
2 cups water

Peel and cut all ingredients as needed. (I highly recommend buying pre-peeled and pre-chopped butternut squash. That one is a tough-y!) Place all ingredients in a large pot. Bring to a boil on high. Once at a boil, turn down heat and simmer for an hour or so. Voila!

Since I like thickened soups (see above), after about 30 to 45 minutes, I take some of the root vegetables (and yes it's okay that some lentils and beans get in the mix) and puree them. It's a great way to thicken soup!

YUM! This soup is exuberantly flavorful! Enjoy! (And as an added bonus, this is a quick, easy, healthy meal option! Say goodbye icky fast food on your drive home. Say hello nutritious foods with delectable flavor. Anyone who told you nutritious foods were unpalatable were wrong! They were also wrong if they told you a nutritious meal was created only after slaving away at that kitchen stove for hours on end. Wrong again! :) Feels good to be right- and healthy- huh?!)