Lentil and spinach soup

I have a total schoolgirl TV crush on Jamie Oliver. No kidding. He loves food, passionate about real food and is kind of cute. I can't help myself. I watched one season of his food revolution show and was swept off my feet. Swoon! So of course I had to buy his Jamie's Food Revolution cook book.

These days I am looking for recipes that are healthy, quick, easy and baby friendly. Our 11 month old son enjoys trying new foods and seems to like lots of flavor. This week I was inspired to make a lentil soup in J.O book that seemed to fit the healthy, quick, easy and baby friendly criteria. I blended the soup to make it easier for baby and I actually preferred the pureed form myself. We both ate it up for lunch, for dinner and for lunch and dinner leftovers the next day!

Lentil and Spinach Soup in Jamie's Food Revolution

2 - 3 carrots
2 - 3 celery stalks
2 medium onions
2 cloves garlic
 1 3/4 quarts chicken or veggie broth
olive oil
thumb-sized piece of ginger root
1 fresh red chili pepper (I used purple sweet chili pepper)
10 grape or cherry tomatoes
2 cups red lentils
7 cups spinach (I just threw in some handfuls, probably not that much)
salt and pepper to taste

Peel and roughly slice the carrots. Slice the celery. Peel and chop the onions. Peel and slice garlic.

Put the broth in a saucepan and heat until boiling.

Put a large saucepan on medium heat and add 2 TBS olive oil. Add all chopped and sliced ingredients and mix together with a spoon. Cook about 10 minutes with the lid askew, until the carrots have softened but are still holding their shape and the onion is lightly golden.

Meanwhile, peel and finely slice the ginger. Seed and slice the chili. Slice tomatoes in half.

Add lentils, ginger, chili and tomatoes to veggie saucepan. Carefully pour in the broth and give a good stir. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 10 minutes with lid on, or until the lentils are cooked. Add spinach and cook about 30 seconds more.

Eat as is or puree in a blender.

Greek Lentil Soup

I was given an amazing cookbook for my birthday this year ... The Essential New York Times Cook Book! It's huge. It's hardback. It's wonderful! I could not wait to choose a recipe to try and waited only a few days before trying a soup.

I love lentil soup although my hubby is not such a fan. In order to please us both I decided to make this soup along with other Mediterranean foods including falaful, pita, tzatziki, hummus, etc. We had a scrumptious Greek buffet for dinner which was fabulous! It's a good thing I decided to include all those side dishes because as it turned out I misread the soup instructions and allowed only two hours cook time rather than three, so there was actually no soup for dinner that night.

The soup was amazing for lunch the next day though!

So, if you like lentil soup (and even if you don't) give this one a try. Allow plenty of time for cooking as it does cook forever but it's worth it. I shared this soup with co-workers and they all raved about it. Even my hubby said it was delicious!

Faki (Greek Lentil Soup) from The Essential New York Times Cook Book

1 lb green lentils
8 cups warm water
1 large onion, chopped
 2 - 3 garlic cloves, chopped
2 small stalks celery, finely chopped
5 - 6 canned Italian-style plum tomatoes and their juices
1 large bay leaf
4 sprigs parsley
chopped mint, basil or oregano to taste (I used about 2 TBS mint)
 1/3 cup olive oil
salt and freshly ground black pepper
red wine vinegar

1. Wash and pick over the lentils, and place in a soup pot with warm water to cover. Let stand for 1 hour.
2. Bring the pot of lentils to a boil. Add the onion, garlic, celery and tomatoes, cover and simmer for 1 hour.
3. Stir in the herbs and oil and season with salt and pepper. Continue to simmer, covered, for another 1 1/2 hours or until the soup is very thick and the lentils are tender. Stir occasionally. Add 2 TBS red wine vinegar toward the end.
4. Serve hot with additional vinegar on the side if desired.

*** a couple cooking notes suggested in book***
use regular green lentils
be generous with the salt as the lentils really soak it up
it makes ALOT of soup so be ready to share it or freeze it

Lentil salad with dried apricots and pistachios

I made this dish for February book club and it was a hit. This salad is easy to make and tastes delicious... and bonus, it's healthy too!

1 cup dried French lentils, rinsed

1 tsp. veggie bouillon

1/4 tsp salt

3 TBS or more shelled pistachios, roasted (I bought pre-shelled, roasted salted)

2 TBS olive oil

2 TBS fresh lemon juice

2 tsp honey

1/2 tsp ground coriander

1/2 tsp grated peeled fresh ginger

1/2 cup dried apricots, diced

1/4 cup thinly sliced green onion

2 TBS fresh cilantro, chopped

1/2 cup crumbled goat cheese (optional)

1. Place rinsed lentils in a medium sauce pan and cover with water to 2 inches above lentils. Stir in veggie bouillion. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium and simmer 15 - 20 minutes until lentils are chewy-tender. Drain any remaining liquid, set aside to cool.

2. Combine oil, juice, honey, coriander, ginger and salt. Stir with a whisk until combined. Pour over lentils, gently stirring until coated. Let sit 20 minutes or until cooled to room temperature.

3. Add nuts, green onions and cilantro to lentil mixture. Transfer to a serving dish, top with goat cheese if desired and enjoy!