Lentil and Kale Soup ~ Weigh-In Wednesday
Jan 11, 2011 at 23:58 Ta-dah! I'm ready to begin week 2 of a Healthy New Year! Only fifty-one more weeks to go!
I've decided to call these "review-of-the-week" posts "Weigh-In Wednesday"! On Wednesdays I'll be "weighing in" both literally and figuratively. My doctors and I will know the "numbers" but you, my friend, get to hear about everything else. Okay, to be fair, at some point I'll be sharing numbers in some way shape or form, but remember that's not the focus. Getting healthy is. Thanks for being here, and for all of your support.
It's been an interesting week, which is code for "it didn't go as planned." The good news is I did start to make some changes.
So what didn't go as planned? Ironically enough, my own health. There I was with plan in hand, walking shoes at the ready, exercise DVDs waiting to be popped into the player on rainy days, healthy recipes chosen, when cough, cough, cough. Oh no. NO! Not NOW! Yep, I was getting sick. Sore throat, runny nose, and cough kind of sick. To walk or not to walk? Well, because I actually didn't feel well, I decided not to walk. Not an easy decision, but I suspect the right one. At first I felt like I let myself down, and let Hubby down, too, because he was all set to go walking with me. But sitting here at the end of week 1 I've realized that other important changes were made. Positive changes.
First, I had a plan, a daily schedule that allowed for exercise, my blog prep/work (there is a lot of that), my M-F hours for taking care of Peanut (Oldest has gone back to work part-time), cooking, photography, sewing classes, and most of all...enough sleep! Yep, I'm one of those. If I don't get enough sleep each night I pay for it...and so does everyone else. I'm not called Mamabear for nothin'. I was ready. I was psyched. Cough, cough, cough. Okay so maybe next week? Fingers crossed.
Second, I tossed out all of most of the Christmas candy and treats we'd had in the house for well over two weeks. Thankfully what I really like is gone. Long gone. So I'd say by the weekend it will ALL be gone. Even Hubby is ready to let it all go. Some old habits die a little harder than others.
Third, I started reading labels again. I'm checking for carbs and sugar. I know enough about my body to know that I'm going to be focusing on proteins and veggies, mostly. Don't worry, I'm not silly enough to cut out all carbs, just the obvious ones that my body just loves to turn into sugar, or worse...the "F" word (fat). ;-)
Finally, We are now the happy owners of raw honey, hempseed, coconut oil, stevia, loads of beans, and tons of fresh veggies and fruit! SEE, lots of changes. This week I'll be cleaning out the pantry. In fact I've fallen so in love with Lentils and Kale this week that I created a Lentil and Kale Soup recipe. How adventurous of me. Hope you like it.
So, while I continue to hack up half a lung for the next few days, I take great solace in the fact that changes are happening. Small changes that will, in time, add up to big changes. Have a great week everyone. Stay healthy! What healthy changes are you making in your life this week?
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Spicy Lentil and Kale Soup
Mac Ledesma – Dishin’ In The Kitchen
What you’ll need:
3 Tablespoons of extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 large sweet onion, chopped
3 Celery Stalks, chopped
2 Carrots, diced
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1 – 2 teaspoon dried oregano
1 – 2 teaspoon dried thyme
¼ - ½ teaspoon crushed red chili flakes
3 bay leaves
1 (14.5 oz) can Italian stewed tomatoes
2 cups dried lentils
8 cups of chicken broth, or vegetable broth (I used homemade chicken stock)
4 – 6 large kale leaves, washed, stemmed and coarsely chopped
Salt and Pepper to taste
Grated parmesan cheese (optional, as a topping)
What you’ll do:
1. In a large pot – I used my 6.5 qt. Dutch oven – heat oil over medium heat .
2. Add onions, carrots, celery; cook and stir until onions are tender. About 5-7 minutes.
3. Add the garlic, thyme, oregano, and Red Chili Flakes. Stir and cook for 1 minute.
4. Stir in lentils, broth & tomatoes. Add bay leaves. TASTE your broth now. Add more spices according to your preferences, if needed.
5. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer for 1.5 hours.
6. Add Kale, simmer for 30 minutes.
7. Add salt and pepper to taste.
8. Add grated parmesan on top of soup in a bowl (optional)
Reader Comments (7)
I'm definitely going to have to store this recipe for later. I love kale, and I'm trying to incorporate more lentils into my diet, so this recipe sounds like a true winner in my book. Hopefully with enough soup you'll be feeling better soon, and good luck with all of your changes!
I have fallen in love with kale this winter! Have you tried making kale chips? 350 for 15 minutes - toss torn leaves on a sheet pan with s & p and some olive oil...Good luck to us both this year re healthy eating.
Matt - so nice to see you here again. Like you, Kale has become the favored "green" in our house this winter, too. It's such a nice option to spinach, and holds up well in soups and other recipes. I'm hoping to find more ways to incorporate it into our meals. Let me know what you think of the soup, or how you are using up your winter Kale.
Liz, you're becoming a regular here. It's so nice to have the company and support along for the ride during this Healthy New Year. I have been wanting to make Kale chips! Now, thanks to your thoughtfulness, I will. I'll be sure to let you know how it goes. Thanks for the recipe.
Will do Mac! Of course, my super easy go-to method for cooking kale is to just saute it with lots of garlic and olive oil. I do want to try my hand at more kale soups so I'll let you know if I make this, or if I try my hand at kale chips.
Hi Mac,
Love this new recipe! I too have made a lot of positive changes, and for the most part, I am eating a vegan diet and I feel great! In warmer weather I try to do as much raw food as possible. My husband and I LOVE soup, so I have been making a pot of vegetarian soup every few days. Just last night I said, "What soup would you like me to make next?" You answered the question! THANKS!!
Cindy xo
Hi Cindy! Glad my soup recipe helped you out. I like my food on the spicy side, so I used 1/2 tsp of red chili flakes. I think it's best that way, but not everyone can handle the "heat", which is why I gave a "range" of measurement. I started out with the 1/4 tsp measurement, then after tasting the broth added more dried thyme and red chili flakes. That worked well. How interesting that you and your hubby have gone vegan. I'm happy for you. Stay healthy!