Chicken and Lentil Soup

This delicious, hearty lentil soup made with chicken, cilantro, cumin and spices is perfect for warming your belly on those cold winter nights. What's more, it's easy to make, economical and very satisfying.

I was in the mood for this last night so I thought it would be a great time to update the photos. I've slightly modified the original recipe which I posted back in 2009, but the results are just as good.

I've been making this soup for years, my family loves it – including my four year old (to my surprise)! It makes a big pot which means plenty of leftovers for lunch. It freezes well and can be reheated with a little water if it gets too thick.

Lentils were actually the first legumes I liked as a kid. My mom would me a similar soup with carrots and celery and since I was picky – she usually pureed mine. I love preparing them because they cook so much quicker than dried beans, and a small amount goes a long way. They are high in protein, Vitamin B, folate and soluble fiber and have twice as much iron as other legumes. You can easily cut this recipe in half or freeze left-overs for lunch which is what I like to do. Chicken breast would work in place of thighs if you prefer white meat. Ground annato (also known as achiote) is commonly used in Latin cuisine, it's used mostly to add color and adds a subtle flavor, but if you can't find it paprika would work instead.

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Southwestern Black Bean Salad

I love making this colorful, salad when the weather warms, it makes enough to feed a crowd and makes a great side dish or appetizer if served with chips. It's also great as a topping for taco salads or served with grilled meat and fresh tortillas.

And BONUS, this salad is low in saturated fat and loaded with antioxidants. A perfect summer side dish for grilled meat, fish or chicken. It's best when you use sweet fresh roasted corn, but if corn is not in season, frozen, thawed corn will work just fine in it's place.

 

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Spicy Black Bean Burgers with Chipotle Mayonnaise

One bite of this spicy black bean burger with spicy chipotle mayo and creamy avocado and you won't miss the meat! Yes, these were good enough to please even the adult carnivore's in my home (a bit too spicy for my kids).

Make no mistake, I love meat, but I also think it's good to give it up at least once a week, so why give Meatless Mondays a shot? Pretty inexpensive to make and really not hard to make. The hardest part is forming them into patties, and even that isn't so bad.

These cook best if frozen so plan to make them ahead and cook as needed. You can even double the batch to keep them on hand whenever you need them.

To store them in your freezer, freeze them on wax paper until they set, about 2 hours, then transfer them into containers. I keep all my homemade burgers labeled in Glad Freezerware containers which can withstand extreme temperatures without cracking. Labeling them keeps them organized so when I have backyard BBQs, I have something to please every palate. Also perfect for once a month cooking!

Vegetarian, High in Fiber, and Gluten Free if using GF oats (excluding the bun). I highly recommend making them exactly as written, don't change a thing!


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