An economical and flavorful meal that’s unlike a traditional lentil soup

Red Lentil Soup w/ Lemon

Yield:nbsp;8 servings

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 45 minutes

Total Time: 60 minutes

Ingredients:

• 6  tbsp extra virgin olive oil

• 2  large onions, chopped

• 4  garlic cloves, minced

• 1- 28 ounce container chopped tomatoes

• 2  tsp ground cumin

• 1  tsp salt½ tsp ground black pepper

• tsp ground chili powder or cayenne

• 8 cups (2 quarts) vegetable or chicken broth

• 2 cups red lentils

• 4 large carrots, peeled and diced

• Juice of 1 lemon

• 6 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro

• Wrap: Whole round iceberg lettuce leaves

Directions:

1. Over high heat, heat olive oil in a large pot. Once the oil is hot, add the onions and garlic. Sauté and gently stir until golden.

2. Add spices: cumin, salt, black pepper, chili powder (or cayenne) and sauté for an additional 2 minutes until fragrant.

3. Pour in broth, tomatoes, lentils, and carrot and bring to a simmer. Put lid almost completely over the pot and turn heat down to medium-low, simmer about 30 minutes until lentils are soft. Try a bite and add more salt if needed.

4. To achieve a variety of textures, use an immersion blender and pulse until about half the soup is pureed and the other half is a bit chunky. If you don’t have an immersion blender, remove half the soup from a pot and blend with a blender or food processor.

5. Stir in lemon juice and cilantro. Serve with optional dusting of chili or cayenne powder on top.

Additional Tips:

• If desired, bake several chicken breasts and shred into the pot after adding tomatoes and broth.

• Pack soup into individual containers to store in the fridge or freezer for the week.

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Ryan Healy, BS Exercise/Sport Science, CSCS, has been a certified personal trainer for over 13 years and is a Level 2 certified nutrition coach through world-renowned Precision Nutrition. She is passionate about helping people change their lifestyle habits with support, guidance, and compassion along with helping clients train around their injuries so they can move better, feel stronger, and get more of what they want out of life. 

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