Lentil Alphabet Soup

Vegetarian, vegan, and kid friendly, this Lentil Alphabet Soup is irresistible thanks to the playful pasta, and it’s filled with fiber and protein thanks to the lentils and vegetables. I have no doubt your kids will happily slurp up every last spoonful. 

This one pot, savory soup is made with carrots, celery, lentils, and adorable alphabet pasta, and the veggies and lentils are so tiny, even the pickiest eaters at your table will love it.

[Tweet “Alphabet soup gets a healthy fix w/ fiber-filled LENTILS #PulseFeast #LovePulses #IYP2016”]

The UN General Assembly has declared 2016 the International Year of Pulses. Why? Because lentils, dry beans and peas, and chickpeas are a nutritious superfood, and they’re sustainable — they have a low carbon footprint and enrich the soil. Pulses are regarded as a food of the future, poised as a powerful solution for feeding the world’s growing population.

Here at Liz’s Healthy Table, I’m starting the Pulses’ celebration early with this lentil soup, and I’ve given it a family-friendly spin with alphabet-shaped pasta. {Check out Pulses.org for more recipes and pulses cooking tips.}

Did you know that one cup of lentils has 16 grams of fiber and 18 grams of protein?

But wait, there’s more: One cup of cooked lentils has nearly 40% of your daily requirement for iron, and they’re also a good source of zinc, a mineral that strengthens the immune system.

For my homemade alphabet soup, I chopped carrots, celery, and onions into tiny pieces. And I cooked them until tender.

Once tender, I added a 32-ounce carton of vegetable broth, tomato sauce, and the alphabet pasta, and brought to a low boil.

When the pasta was tender, I stirred in the cooked lentils.

Picky Eater Tip: While the soup cooks, set out a bowl of the dried alphabet pasta and challenge your kids to spell out words … like their names!

5.0 from 1 reviews

Lentil Alphabet Soup

 

Author: Liz

Nutrition Information

• Serves: 5

• Serving size: 1 cup
• Calories: 150

• Fat: 3g
• Saturated fat: 0g
• Carbohydrates: 24g
• Sodium: 680mg
• Fiber: 7g
• Protein: 7g

Recipe type: Soup

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Lentils are easy to cook, but if you prefer the no-fuss route, look for canned or even frozen cooked lentils. And speaking of cans, while you can easily find canned alphabet soup at the market, it tends to be super salty and barely has any vegetables, so I prefer making it from scratch with easy recipes like this one!

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• ½ medium yellow onion, finely diced (about ¾ cup)
• 3 small carrots, peeled and cut into ¼-inch dice (about ¾ cup)
• 3 celery stalks, trimmed and cut into ¼-inch dice (about ¾ cup)
• One 32-ounce carton all-natural vegetable broth
• One 15-ounce can tomato sauce
• ¼ cup dried alphabet pasta
• 1¼ cups cooked lentils

Instructions

1. Heat the oil in a dutch oven or large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion, carrots, and celery and cook, stirring frequently, until tender, 10 to 12 minutes.
2. Add the broth and tomato sauce, increase the heat to high, cover, and bring to a boil.
3. Remove the cover, stir in the pasta, and reduce the heat. Maintain at a low boil and cook, stirring frequently to prevent the pasta from sticking to the bottom of the pot, until the pasta is tender, about 20 minutes.
4. Stir in the cooked lentils, and heat through, 1 to 2 minutes.

Notes

Each plant-powered bowl of our Lentil Alphabet Soup has 70% vitamin A, 20% vitamin C, and 15% iron.

3.5.3226

What are your favorite recipes using pulses?