Lentil cream soup with pine nuts and croutons

This recipe is part of the Healthy Nutrition Guide for Children, created by the “Agricola Neam de Gospodari” Association

Ingredients:

✓ 80 g onion

✓ 60 g carrots

✓ 30 g celery stick

✓ 50 g bell pepper

✓ 150 g canned peeled tomatoes

✓ 200 g red lentils

✓ 750 ml vegetable soup

✓ 50 g pine nuts

✓ 4 slices of whole wheat bread (for the croutons- cut into cubes and baked in the oven until golden)

✓ 30 ml grapeseed oil

✓ salt/sweet paprika

✓ 5 g parsley

Method of preparation

In a pot, sauté (in grapeseed oil and 1 cup of water) finely chopped onion, sliced carrots, diced celery stalk and bell pepper cubes. Add 1 cup of peeled tomatoes and 1 teaspoon of paprika. After 5 minutes, add half a liter of hot vegetable soup and red lentils. Continue boiling until the lentils are cooked. With a blender, turn it into a cream and, if necessary, adjust the creaminess with the rest of the vegetable soup, sprinkle with salt. Serve it with lemon juice, pine nuts (lightly sautéed in a pan), whole wheat bread croutons and fresh greens.

Tips&Tricks:

In order to get a more flavorful and tasty dish and reduce the water amount from the canned tomatoes, you can sauté them first, in a pan with grapeseed oil, garlic and aromatic herbs.