Lentil and Vegetable Soup...Really? Really.

I don't mean to go all healthy on you...and I know I have been posting quite a few soups lately, but the soup I had yesterday, was, in a word, awesome. Every time I go running with my friend Joni, it is a full on Martha Stewart experience. She lives on a bluff overlooking Puget Sound, on this giant stretch of beach, in a cape cod style, gorgeous home. Every time I come over, she feeds me wonderful organic meals, has fresh flowers from her garden all over her house, and sends me home with lettuce and vegetables from her yard. Yesterday was no different! When I arrived, she had a giant glass of juice, (from her juicer of course :)) kale, swiss chard, lemon, apples, I'm not even sure what was in it, but it was good. During our run, she was talking about this lentil soup she has been making by the pot, and eating for days. She explained to me all the health benefits of lentil, and how it is pure vegetable protein, and not animal protein. In my mind I was thinking..."I'm not sure about the whole lentil thing..." as it has always sounded bland to me. When we got back to her house, she insisted that I try some, and I'm so glad I did! It was so good, and super filling. It was full of vegetables, and had a little middle eastern thing going on. So of course, I had to make a pot of my own today, and we just had it for dinner. It is served with fresh lemon juice squeezed over it, a little Parmesan, cilantro, and a sprinkling of sea salt, and of course we had a little french bread on the side. So many flavors, so easy to make!

Joni's Lentil and Vegetable Soup

4 cloves minced garlic
4 TBS olive oil
2 carrots, chopped
2 celery stalks chopped
2 cups chopped onion (1 red, 1 yellow)
1 (2 cup) package lentils (I used 1/2 green, 1/2 brown organic lentils)
4 1/2 cups water
4 1/2 cups chicken stock
2 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp allspice
pinch of cayenne pepper
salt and pepper to taste
2-3 tsp lemon juice
whatever you want to top it with: Parmesan, cilantro, sea salt, sunflower seeds, shredded chicken, sour cream, pumpkin seeds, croutons, yogurt, goat cheese, anything you can think of :)

Saute onions, garlic, celery, carrots, in olive oil until onion is golden brown. Rinse lentils and add them. Add water and broth, cover, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 40-45 minutes. Puree soup in a blender or food processor before serving. Squeeze lemon on top, sprinkle with sea salt and add any toppings you wish.

Oh, and then, I made these for dessert. I had been eyeing them for awhile and figured since dinner was so healthy, what the heck. Picture Rice Krispy treats on steroids. I know, right? They were sooo good, barely any batter made it to the pan!

Avanlanche Bar recipe