Merefoot Contessa- A Twist on The Barefoot Contessa’s French Lentils
You may all be wondering why I substituted the word “bare” in Barefoot Contessa for “Merefoot” Contessa. The truth of the matter is that my good old friend Meredith has this wonderful Lentil Soup Recipe she created, inspired by Ina Garten.. the Barefoot Con
tessa. My little friend Meredith has delightfully shared her recipe with us today, but I’ve added in a few additional spices and vegetables that you can find in the recipe below.
Click on quick recipe below to enlarge and print
Now my friend Meredith has a very demanding career at the United Nations, therefore doesn’t have much time during her busy days to cook, but she would make her lentil soup practically every week and enjoy during the cold winter months in NYC. Check out the pic below of my friend Meredith working at the UN! My apologies for not having a close up of my beautiful friend!
As we begin the new year and are ready to shed off some of the holiday pounds, lentil soup will help you get back into gear! It has no cholesterol, considered a heart healthy food and is an excellent source of vitamins, minerals (the vegetables) fiber and protein (the beans). On cold nights, lentil soup is the perfect thing to have when you need to keep warm and is so easy to make once you gather your favorite vegetables and spices.
First, chop up your leeks. Some people only include the white part of the leeks, but I prefer to use all. Toss your leeks in the stock pot with olive oil, but don’t add heat until other vegetables are included in pot.
Remove your lentils that have been soaked overnight and bring to a boil. Let them sit and cool for 15 minutes and then drain.
Chop up onions and add them to your stock pot
Chop the peppers, season with sea salt and black pepper then roast in the oven for 15-20 minutes
Add the edamame and carrots into the stock pot and cook on medium heat for 10-15 minutes until the vegetables are tender.
Once your vegetables have cooked, add the chicken stock and tomatoes to your pot
Add your lentils to the pot now too and also your spices 🙂
And now the spinach ( see how easy this is!!!!)
Don’t forget about your peppers that have been roasting in the oven!!! Add them to your pot! (In case you didn’t already know.. EVERYTHING goes into this stock pot.. so make sure you have one before you start cooking half way through)
In case you haven’t read the quick recipe in the beginning.. the seasoning is KEY for this recipe make sure you have handy the following:
- sea salt
- black pepper
- thyme
- cumin
- curry powder
- red pepper flakes
- garlic
Sprinkle some Parmesan cheese on top, dip with a piece of whole grain bread and your lentil soup is ready to go! Enjoy everyday for lunch and dinner for the whole week like I do 😉
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Chop up onions and add them to your stock pot
Chop the peppers, season with sea salt and black pepper then roast in the oven for 15-20 minutes
Add the edamame and carrots into the stock pot and cook on medium heat for 10-15 minutes until the vegetables are tender.
Once your vegetables have cooked, add the chicken stock and tomatoes to your pot
Add your lentils to the pot now too and also your spices 🙂
Don’t forget about your peppers that have been roasting in the oven!!! Add them to your pot! (In case you didn’t already know.. EVERYTHING goes into this stock pot.. so make sure you have one before you start cooking half way through)
YUMMMMMMMMMMM!
Looks delicious- what a great idea for New Yorkers!
Yummy! I love the idea of adding leeks.