Crock Pot Lentil Soup with Kale and Potatoes

Lentils represent luck and prosperity in the New Year, so today is the perfect day to share this easy recipe!

Lentils are a great source of fiber, magnesium, iron, folate and protein. This is a warm, nutritious, hearty soup for a cold winter day!

You can add ground turkey, chicken, sirloin or vegetarian crumbles (I like Beyond Meat) to increase the protein of this meal.  I like to round it out with a salad as well.

Crock Pot Lentil Soup with Kale and Potatoes

Ingredients: 

2 cups carrots, chopped
2 cups celery, chopped
2 cups potatoes, chopped
1 onion, chopped
5 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup lentils
6 cups vegetable broth
salt and pepper to taste
Italian seasoning
3 tablespoons olive oil 
3 cups kale, roughly chopped
1 cup parsley, chopped


Directions:

1. Add carrots, celery, potatoes, onion, garlic, lentils, vegetable broth and spices in your Crock Pot. Cook on high for 5 hours.

2. Remove 4 cups of soup from the Crock Pot and place in a blender along with the oil. Blend, then add back to the Crock Pot. Turn off the heat. Stir in the kale and parsley. Wait until the kale has wilted then serve!

Serves 6

Nutrition Information (1/6 of the recipe): 199 Calories, 7 grams Fat, 27 g Carbs, 6 grams Protein

Cream of Broccoli Soup (Dairy Free, Low Fat!)

I ordered groceries last week and they accidentally sent my broccoli cuts instead of broccoli florets (which I really don't care for). So since I don't like to waste food, I decided to blend them up in a healthy cream of broccoli soup!

This soup is dairy free, low in fat and you probably have most (if not all) of the ingredients in your fridge.

You can add ground turkey, ground chicken, grilled chicken, or vegetarian meat crumbles to increase the protein of this soup and make it a full meal. You can also add cheese and fresh herbs!

Cream of Broccoli Soup

Ingredients: 

1/2 cup chopped carrots
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 (10 oz) bag frozen broccoli cuts or florets
4 cups chicken or vegetable broth
Salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup canned chickpeas, rinsed and drained

Directions:

1. Heat oil in a medium size pot. Add the onion, carrots and garlic and cook until soft, about 5 minutes. 
2. Add the broccoli, broth, salt and pepper. Bring to a simmer and cook 25 minutes.
3. Turn off the heat and allow the soup to cool.
4. Add cooled soup and 1/2 cup chickpeas to a blender. Blend until smooth. Reheat to serve.
 

Slow Cooker Quinoa Lentil Soup

This is such a perfect comfort food for the winter. I modified the recipe from The Food Network by using lentils instead of a bean mix, quinoa instead of barley, increased the veggies, and used WAY less salt. This recipe is pretty flexible if you want use a different grain/bean combination.

Sprinkle with some parmesan and add a salad to make it complete meal.

Slow-Cooker Quinoa Lentil Soup

Ingredients:

1/2 cup uncooked quinoa
1 cup uncooked lentils
4 carrots, roughly chopped
3 celery stalks, roughly chopped
3 garlic cloves, smashed
1 bay leaf
2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
1 teaspoon salt
Fresh black pepper
1/2 ounce dried porcini mushrooms, crumbled if large, optional
14-oz can stewed tomatoes
3 cups baby spinach

Directions:

1. Put 6 cups water, the lentils, beans, quinoa, garlic, carrots, celery, onions, bay leaf, salt, herb blend, some pepper and porcini mushrooms (if using) in a slow cooker. Squeeze the tomatoes through your hands over the pot to break them down, and add with their juices. Cover and cook on high until the beans are tender and the soup is thick, about 8 hours.

2. Add the spinach and stir until the spinach wilts, about 5 minutes. Remove the bay leaf. Season with salt and pepper if needed. Sprinkle with cheese if desired!

Serves 8 

Nutrition: 170 Calories, 1 g Fat, 32 g Carbohydrates, 9 grams protein

Sweet Potato, Carrot, and Zucchini Frittata

This recipe was an accident. Wasn't actually planning on making a frittata, but it worked much better for a make-ahead meal than poached eggs (original plan here). Perfect for breakfast, lunch, dinner, brunch, brinner... yes, anytime.

Sweet Potato, Carrot, and Zucchini Frittata

Ingredients:

2 medium sweet potatoes
2 medium carrots
1 large zucchini
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon finely chopped sage
Salt
Pepper
8 eggs, beaten
1 cup low-fat cheddar cheese

Directions:

1. Roughly chop the carrots, sweet potatoes, and zucchini. Place in a food processor and pulse until chopped.
2. In a large, deep pan heat the olive oil over medium high heat. Add the vegetables and sage, stirring often until tender and golden brown (about 10 minutes). Stir in salt and pepper to taste.
3. Level out the veggies with a spatula and lower heat to medium. Pour the eggs on top of the veggies and sprinkle with the cheese. Cover and cook until eggs have set and cheese is melted (about 5-8 minutes).

Serves 4

Beefed-Up Veggie Lentil Stew

Perfect comfort food for the snow storm that's about to hit NYC (whomp, whomp). I used lean ground sirloin, lots of veggies, and fiber-packed lentils for hearty, filling, and nutritious stew.

Beefed-Up Veggie Lentil Stew

Ingredients:

2 cups cooked lentils (1 cup dry)
2 carrots, peeled and diced
1/2 onion, diced
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 red bell pepper, diced
2 handfuls chopped kale
1 lb 90% lean ground sirloin (can use ground turkey too)
1 cup tomato sauce (I used Hunt's)
2 cups water
Dash of salt
Tumeric
Cayenne pepper

Directions:

1. Heat a large non-stick pot over medium heat. Spray with cooking spray. Add carrots, onion, garlic, and bell pepper. Saute until soft, about 5 minutes.

2. Add ground sirloin to the pot. Cook until brown on all sides. Next, add lentils, tomato sauce, water, salt, tumeric, and cayenne (I didn't measure, just sprinkle a little and taste test to your liking). Bring to a boil; reduce heat and cover. Simmer for 30 minutes.

3. Add kale to the pot. Cover and cook an additional 5 minutes. Turn off heat and serve!

Makes 6 cups (4-6 servings)

Nutrition Information (1 cup): 216 Calories, 4 grams Fat, 21 grams Carbohydrates, 7 grams Fiber, 24 grams Protein