With the freezing temperatures, it is a great time to get out the slow cooker or the soup pot and start making those delicious meals that can be heated for a snack, or frozen for a later date. An example is a nutritious lentil or vegetable soup such as the one listed here which is found in the Mediterranean Cookbook by Dr Catherine Itsiopoulos. The cookbook has a great array of hearty winter meals based on the Mediterranean Diet which is linked with promoting longevity, preventing unhealthy weight gain and prevention of heart disease and diabetes.
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Lentil soup also known as Fakes (From The Mediterranean Diet Book) - SERVES 6
Excellent source of protein and fibre with low Saturated Fat and you control the amount of Salt>
Ingredients
2 1/2 cups of dried green or brown lentils
1.5 litres of water
3 tablespoons of olive oil
1 medium brown onion - finely chopped
1 clove of garlic crushed
1 stick of celery - thickly sliced
1 medium carrot - cut into 2 cm sticks
1 cup (250ml) of pureed tomato
1/2 teaspoon of dried orega
1/4 tsp mild chilli powder
1 dried bay leaf
sea salt to taste
serve with crusty bread or grain crackers
Place lentils in water in a large 5L saucepan and bring to the boil
Add onion, garlic, carrot, celery, tomato, olive oil, chili, oregano and bay leaf and simmer for 30 minutes
Serve in large bowls with crusty bread or crackers
NUTRITION INFORMATION,
Per Bowl or soup, 1260KJ, 21.5g protein, 36.5g Carbohydrates, 8.5g Fat (1.3g Saturated Fat),110mg Sodium and 13.5g of Fibre.