Veggie Lentil Soup

This is another meal my mom, Tracy G., made for us while she was in town meeting the newest grandbaby. We needed something to supplement our salad and rolls, and we had some left over lentils from a different meal. This was delish! She whipped it out of no where so that is why some of the ingredients have a range in the measurement; just add how much you prefer!

Ingredients:

• 1 onion
• 1 clove garlic
• 3-4 stalks of celery, sliced
• Herbs/seasonings of your choice, to taste
• thyme
• sage
• oregano
• salt
• cracked pepper
• 2-4 cups vegetable broth or water, depending on how thick you want your soup
• 1 can of green beans (no salt added), or frozen
• 1/2 can of corn, or frozen
• 3-4 potatoes, cubed
• 1-2 carrots, sliced
• 1 or 2 cans of diced or stewed tomatoes
• Your choice cooked legumes, about 1 cup
• lentils
• black beans

Directions:

1. Peel & cube potatoes and carrots. Cook in a pot of boiling water till just cooked. Set aside.
2. Blend tomatoes in blender till smooth.
3. Saute onion, garlic, and celery in a tiny bit of olive oil till onion is clear. Add herbs and seasonings of your choice. Cook for 1 more minute, then add vegetable broth/water, green beans, corn, cooked potatoes and carrots, blended tomatoes, and legumes. 
4. Simmer about 15 minutes.

FYI: Chickpeas

Picture courtesy of http://www.elements4health.com/chickpeas.html

What is it?

Chickpeas (also known as garbanzo beans) are from the legume family. They are a small round bean.

There are two main types:

• Kabuli is lighter colored, larger size, and smoother coat.
• Desi is darker colored, smaller size, and rough coat.
  

Why should I eat it?

Chickpeas...

• are a good source of protein
• are low in fat
• are a good source of cholesterol-lowering fiber
• are a slow burning complex carbohydrates.
• can increase your energy by helping to replenish your iron stores. (Iron is an integral component of haemoglobin, which transports oxygen from the lungs to all body cells, and is also part of key enzyme systems for energy production and metabolism.) http://www.cai-sa.pt/graodebico.en.html
  
• are also an excellent source of the trace mineral manganese, which is an essential cofactor in the energy production and in our antioxidant defence. http://www.cai-sa.pt/graodebico.en.html
• are a source of zinc and folate
  

What should I know about using it?

• They can be bought canned or dried.
• When cooking with dried chickpeas you will need to soak, rinse, and cook the beans. May take some planning to use in a meal, but it's worth it!
• You can use them cold or hot, in salads, soups, chilies, blended into hummus, etc.
  

Information from Wikipedia and http://www.cai-sa.pt/graodebico.en.html