This soup is delicious, healthy and FAST!  You can sauté the veggies before adding to the mixture, or skip that step if you’re in a hurry.  I used tomatoes from my garden (I froze some at the end of the season!) but you could also use canned or fresh ones.  I also tossed in some leftover roast beef, but you could leave that out or substitute another leftover if you want.  

The lentils are easy to use because they don’t require soaking so you can just add them to the mix and simmer.   And lentils are packed with nutrition.  On average, one cup of cooked lentils has about 40 grams of carbohydrates, but about ½ of those come from fiber.  And this same one cup serving contains about 20 grams of protein.  Lentils are also a good source of thiamine and folate, important B vitamins, as well as copper and magnesium, essential for energy production and healthy bones. 

Ingredients:

10-12 tomatoes (or canned)
1 small bag baby carrots
1 large onion, chopped
4 celery stalks, chopped
1 cup lentils (dry)
32 oz chicken broth
Salt and pepper to taste
Italian seasoning to taste (optional)
Leftover cooked meat (like roast), chopped (optional)

Directions:

Sauté onions, carrots, and celery in a couple of tablespoons olive oil, or, skip this step and just add the veggies to a large pot.  Add tomatoes and chicken broth and bring to gentle boil.  Add seasonings, lentils, and any leftover meat.  Simmer on medium-low about 1 hour.  That’s it!