Lentil Soup

We love Progresso's Lentil soup but one day we were all out of it. I knew I had lentils in the cupboard so I pulled out The Sonoma Diet book and found a recipe for Ham and Lentil Soup. Surprisingly enough I had all the ingredients I needed to make the soup. I am not a fan of chicken bouillon granules so I substituted Trader Joe's low sodium fat free chicken broth. It was different than Progresso's of course but we really liked it.

HAM AND LENTIL SOUP

Ingredients

• 1 cup dry brown or French lentils
• 1 medium onion chopped
• 1 cup chopped celery
• 1 cup diced carrots
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 5 cups low sodium fat free chicken broth
• 2 cloves garlic, minced (1 teaspoon minced)
• 1/2 teaspoon finely shredded lemon peel
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 cup cubed cooked ham (about 5 ounces)
• 2 cups chopped fresh spinach

Instructions

1. Rinse and drain lentils; set aside.
2. In a large saucepan cook onion, celery, and carrots in hot oil about 10 minutes or until tender. Add lentils, the chicken broth, garlic, lemon peel, and pepper. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Cover and simmer for 45 minutes. Add ham; simmer, uncovered, for 15 minutes more. Stir in spinach. If too thick add a bit more chicken broth. Serve immediately.