Meatless Friday: Lentil Soup

Editor's Note: We welcome novelist Carolyn Astfalk to the CatholicMom.com kitchen! She took some time away from editing her soon-to-be-published debut novel to share a meatless recipe that's been a lifesaver to a busy mom and author because it's simple to prepare, nutritious and budget-friendly. --Barb

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Here is one of my favorite meatless meals that is simple to make, nutritious, delicious, and inexpensive.

Lentil Soup

16-oz. pkg. (about 2-1/2 cups) dry lentils
8 cups water
3/4 cup sliced celery
1/3 cup sliced carrots
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
2 teaspoons salt
3/4 teaspoon oregano leaves
1/2 to 3/4 teaspoon pepper
1 medium onion, sliced
1 clove garlic, minced
16-oz. can (2 cups) tomatoes, undrained, cut up
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar

Wash and sort lentils. In 5-quart Dutch oven, combine lentils, water, celery, carrots, parsley, salt, oregano, pepper, onion and garlic. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat. Cover; simmer 1-1/2 hours. Stir in tomatoes and vinegar. Cover; simmer an additional 30 minutes or until soup reaches desired thickness. 6 servings.

This soup goes great with a garden salad and fresh bread. For those watching their diets, it is 6 Weight Watchers PointsPLUS per serving. RECIPE SOURCE: THE PILLSBURY COOKBOOK, 1989. PG. 749

You can find all our Meatless Friday featured recipes here.

Carolyn Astfalk resides with her husband and four children in Hershey, Pennsylvania. She is volunteer chairperson of Real Alternatives, a nonprofit, charitable organization that administers alternative-to-abortion funding in three states. Carolyn prefers baking to cooking, and, unfortunately, washes all her dishes by hand. She is a member of the Catholic Writers Guild and blogs at My Scribbler’s Heart. Her debut novel, Stay With Me, will be published by Full Quiver Publishing in October 2015.