Posted on January - 09 - 2011

Megan Murphy: Veggie-packed lentil soup could even clip pounds

It’s hard to know how much soup Americans eat on a regular basis, but surely it increases in the winter months.

Soup containing protein and vegetables can be a one-dish meal. And when you make a big pot of it, you will probably have enough for several meals.

Eating soup may even help you lose weight. Studies show that eating high-water-content foods, like soup, can help people feel more satisfied, while consuming fewer calories.

Just remember, if your soup is laden with cream or cheese, it will have far more calories.

Soups also helps you eat your vegetables. Most Americans fall short in this area.

Today’s recipe for lentil soup gives you a variety of vegetables, including leeks, kale, tomatoes and sweet potatoes.

Leeks are in the onion family, and look like giant green onions. Don’t eat the tough dark green leaves, but the white bulb and the light green part above the bulb have a delicate onion flavor. If you can’t find leeks, substitute about ¾ cup of sliced onions.

Kale is a potent leafy green vegetable, with significant amounts of vitamin A, C and K, as well as fiber. It’s a sturdy green, a little like collard greens, and is easier to eat when cooked. You could probably use collards instead of kale, if that’s what you have.

You might be surprised to see sweet potatoes in the mix of vegetables. Their subtle sweetness complements savory flavors.

But the star of this soup is the lentils. A legume, lentils are unique among this category of plant foods in that they cook much more quickly in their dried form than most others. While most legumes require eight to 10 hours of soaking, lentils can be cooked in a reasonable amount of time straight out of the bag.

Nutritionally, lentils have enormous amounts of folate, are an excellent source of fiber and a good source of iron. And like most legumes, much of the fiber in lentils is the soluble type, which can help lower cholesterol and manage blood glucose levels.

Lentils contain significant amounts of purines. For most people, this is not a problem, but if you are susceptible to developing gout, you might be careful. However, several studies have shown that vegetable sources of purines do not seem to increase gout like animal sources of purines do.

If you have some good low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth, use it instead of some or all of the water for a rich soup.

Megan Murphy is a Tennessee-licensed registered dietitian and associate professor of nutrition at Southwest Tennessee Community College.

Winter Lentil Soup

4 leeks, white and light green parts only

1 bunch kale

1 tbsp. olive oil

1 (28-oz.) can whole tomatoes, drained

6 cups water

2 sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into a ½-inch dice

½ cup brown lentils

1 tbsp. fresh thyme or 1½ tsp. dried thyme

1 tsp. kosher salt

¼ tsp. black pepper

12 fresh basil leaves (optional)

¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese (optional)

Slice each leek in half lengthwise, then slice each half into ¼-inch thick half-moons (about 2 cups). Place in a large bowl of cold water and swish to remove any grit. Drain and pat dry.

Remove the stems from the kale. Stack the leaves on top of one another and slice them crosswise into ½-inch- wide strips; you’ll need about 3 cups.

Heat the oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the leeks and cook for 3 minutes. Add the tomatoes and cook, breaking them up with a spoon, for 5 minutes. Add the water and bring to a boil. Stir in the kale, sweet potatoes, lentils, thyme, salt, pepper and basil (if using). Simmer until the lentils are tender, about 30-40 minutes. Spoon into individual bowls. Sprinkle with the Parmesan (if using).

Makes about 8 servings, about 1 cup each.

Per serving: 190 calories, 5 gm fat, 1 gm saturated fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 31 gm carbohydrates, 9 gm fiber, 10 gm protein, 703 mg sodium.

Source: myrecipes.com

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