Gluten-Free Lentil Minestrone Soup

11/7/2017

Gluten-Free Lentil Minestrone Soup

This is one of my absolute favorite weeknight meals. What's better than throwing a whole bunch of healthy ingredients in one big pot, letting it simmer and do it's thing, and ending up with a delicious, hearty dinner and leftovers for the next couple days!? Not much, my friends! I'm so excited that it's finally sweater weather in San Diego... I've been dying for the opportunity to cozy up with a big bowl of hearty soup, this is the ultimate recipe to satisfy all the Fall feels.

There's a few reasons why I'm totally obsessed with this soup. First of all, it's just so yummy and satisfying. That freshly shaved Parmesan cheese on top just melts right into the soup and it's love at first bite. But what really makes this recipe a serious winner is that the ingredients not only taste great, they're also are super nutrient-dense.  The lentils are packed with protein and fiber and tons of vitamins and minerals. Besides the lentils, there's also onions, carrots, celery, tomatoes, and kale in there. Talk about getting a rainbow of veggies in a bowl (and all those different colors mean you're getting a huge variety of nutrients and antioxidants). And then I added an extra nutritional punch by using Bare Bones bone broth (a San Diego-based company, btw!). Not only does the bone broth add a ton of extra flavor and protein, it's also a great source of collagen which soothes joints, supports immunity, strengthens bones, nails, and hair, and rejuvenates skin. Yes please! Oh and the soup is totally gluten-free and uses Banza pasta for the noodles, which is made from chickpeas! I told ya it's a healthy recipe!

Ingredients
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1 package pre-chopped mirepoix (or just chop up 2 cups worth of carrots, celery, & onions)
2 cups cooked lentils (or use 1 package of Trader Joe's steamed lentils)
4 cups Bare Bones bone broth (or chicken or veggie broth) 
1 can diced tomatoes
2 cups spinach or chopped & de-stemmed Tuscan kale
3/4 cup pasta (I like Banza or Cybele's)
2 tbsp chopped flat-leaf parsley 
Freshly shaved parmesan cheese 
Salt & Pepper to taste

Serves 4.

1. Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add mirepoix (chopped onions,  celery, and carrots) and sauté for about 5 minutes. Add chopped garlic and continue to sauté one more minute.
2. Add 1 cup broth and stir. Allow veggies to start to cook in the broth, about 5 minutes. 
3. Add steamed lentils, the rest of the veggie broth, and the can of diced tomatoes. Stir everything together and bring to a gentle boil.
4. Stir in spinach or chopped kale. Add pasta and allow to cook in the soup.
5. Reduce to a simmer and remove from heat once the pasta is cooked through. Season generously with salt and pepper.
6.  Garnish with chopped parsley and Parmesan cheese.

Enjoy!! 

Original post updated 11/7/17.
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