Recipes

Hearty Soup Can be a Healthy Meal

Soup is a great way to warm up on a chilly autumn day, but we don't always have the time to make it. The following favorite from the files of St. Peter’s Registered Dietitian and Diabetes Educator Sue Larson is an easy-to-prepare recipe for a healthy soup that is high in fiber, low in sodium and fat, and is a good source of protein. 

Larson suggests starting your Fall off right with a lunch or dinner meal of hearty, body-warming soup served with a fresh green salad, small dinner roll, fat free or one percent milk, and small serving of fruit. 

Easy Lentil Soup

2 cups uncooked lentils

8 cups water

1 cup chopped onions

1 cup chopped carrots

1 cup chopped celery

1 cup chopped peeled potatoes

2 bay leaves

1/2 tsp. ground cumin

1/2 tsp. salt

Cook all ingredients in a large pot until lentils are soft, about 45 minutes to one hour.  Makes 10 cups.

Note:  Lentils (and split peas) don't require long soaking period ahead of time. Try using the colored (orange) lentils instead of the usual brown to make it prettier.

Nutrition Information

Serving size:  1 cup

Calories:  About 150

Carbohydrates:  28

Fiber: 7

Protein: 10 grams

Fat: 1.5 grams

Sodium: 125 mg

Since this soup is so high in fiber (5 grams or more), subtract the 7 grams of fiber from the total carbohydrate and count one serving as 21 grams carbohydrate.

Samples of the Hospital’s favorite soups will be served as refreshments at St. Peter’s Diabetes Dialogue event planned for Tuesday, Nov. 13, at the Hospital’s Education Center.