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I am a huge fan of soup for lunch and dinner regardless of the season. In fact I tend to eat a lot of soup, and not just cold soup in the summer either. Warmer weather means more revealing clothing and I find that if I eat a hot bowl of soup, I eat less and feel more satisfied. Since you can’t just wolf down a bowl of hot soup, you eat more slowly which in turn registers in the brain that you are full. The brain and stomach have a bit of a communication problem; the stomach can actually be filled up before it ever gets around to telling the brain – “STOP! We have had enough to eat!”
One of my all-time favorite soups is lentil. Lentils are a great source of cholesterol-lowering fiber. But not just that – they are terrific for managing blood-sugar disorders since their high fiber content prevents blood sugar levels from rising rapidly after a meal. They are nutrition dense but not calorie dense – always a good thing when you want to fill up and not out!
I am particularly fond of the combination of lentils and salmon so I decided to combine them in a soup. Gotta say, it was a pretty darn great idea; the earthy lentils and silky salmon made not only a great flavor combo but the coral color of the salmon makes a pretty contrast with the brown-green lentils. This soup is also a good way to stretch a dollar as you don’t need to add much salmon, a little goes a long way.
When the temps start to soar (here in Florida we are currently hovering around the 90 degree mark) I like to do a bunch of cooking for the week at one time. It is a good strategy not only for keeping the heat out of the kitchen but for saving time. I can get a lot of vegetable chopping and other prep all done at one time and then later on in the week, I just need to do a little reheating to get dinner on the table quickly.
I made this soup, up to the point of adding the salmon, a couple of days before, let it cool, put it in the fridge and then about 10 minutes before I served it for dinner, I brought the soup back up to a simmer, added the salmon and let it cook through for 4 or 5 minutes. Easy peasy! And it was even easier since I used a bag of Hurst Family Harvest Old World Lentil Soup Mix – almost all of the seasonings needed are contained in their gluten free flavor packet. I served it with a dollop of low fat sour cream (dairy free would be fine too) brightened up with grated lemon jest and some fresh dill. And a few dashes of Tabasco sauce – I just love the way the Tabasco enhances both the lentils and the salmon.
If hot soup is not something you consider eating on hot days, I hope this recipe (and my figure friendly strategy) will change your mind!
Gluten Free Lentil and Salmon Soup Recipe
Ingredients
1 bag Hurst Family Harvest Old World Lentil Soup Mix
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup chopped carrots (from 2 large or 4 small carrots)
1 cup chopped onion (from 1 small onion)
2 cloves garlic, minced
6 cups water
1 teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon black pepper
12 ounces salmon fillets, skin off and broken into 1 inch chunks
4 dashes Tabasco sauce
Directions
Rinse and drain the lentils.
Heat oil in a large soup pan over medium-high heat. Add the chopped carrots and onions and cook until the onions start to soften, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds, stirring. Add the lentils, the flavor packet, 6 cups of water, salt and pepper and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover the pan and let simmer for 25 minutes or until the lentils are tender. Add the salmon and simmer with the pan uncovered for 4 – 5 minutes or until the salmon chunks just start to flake and are cooked through. Stir in the Tabasco sauce and check seasoning, add more salt, pepper and Tabasco if desired.
Serves
A gluten free recipe that serves 8 people.
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{ 7 comments… read them below or add one }
THanks for sharing your recipe! Can’t wait to cook this for my man. :)
Enjoy Diane!
I’m a huge lentil fan. They’re inexpensive and full of nutrition. I make them a variety of ways, I’ve never though to add salmon to the mix. Well, that is brilliant!
Thanks Melissa, gotta say I did really enjoy this soup!
Sounds absolutely delicious – my favorite food is salmon. I can’t wait to make this soup. Thank you Carol – what a neat idea to add salmon to lentil soup.
I will do this next time using lentils instead of potatoes
Sounds great Arturo!
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