Lentil and Spinach Soup with Roasted Red Pepper and Pomegranate Molasses

Name: Lentil and Spinach Soup with Roasted Red Pepper and Pomegranate Molasses
Prep time: 45 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 45 min
Yield: 8
Cuisine: Global
Ingredients: 170 grams package baby spinach; 1 bay leaf; 1 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper; 1 stick (3-inch) cinnamon; 355 milliliters dried lentils; 1 Tbsp extravirgin olive oil; 118 milliliters chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley; 2 garlic cloves, chopped; 946 milliliters diced Japanese eggplant (about 2); 946 milliliters less-sodium beef broth, divided; 237 milliliters chopped onion; 8 teaspoons pomegranate molasses; 118 milliliters thinly sliced bottled roasted red bell pepper; 1 teaspoon salt; 1 thyme sprig; 1 liters water

Lentil and Spinach Soup with Roasted Red Pepper and Pomegranate Molasses might be just the main course you are searching for. This recipe covers 24% of your daily requirements of vitamins and minerals. Watching your figure? This gluten free and dairy free recipe has 213 calories, 13g of protein, and 3g of fat per serving. This recipe serves 8. It will be a hit at your Autumn event. Head to the store and pick up extravirgin olive oil, lentils, less-sodium beef broth, and a few other things to make it today. To use up the cinnamon stick you could follow this main course with the Cinnamon Ice Cream with Cinnamon Crisps as a dessert.

Instructions

Place first 5 ingredients in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 20 minutes. Discard bay leaf and cinnamon stick. Set lentils aside.

Ingredients you will need

Cinnamon Stick

Bay Leaves

Lentils

Equipment you will use

Dutch Oven

Preheat oven to 45

Equipment you will use

Oven

Place the eggplant, onion, and thyme in a 13 x 9-inch baking dish.

Ingredients you will need

Eggplant

Onion

Thyme

Equipment you will use

Baking Pan

Drizzle with oil; toss to coat.

Ingredients you will need

Cooking Oil

Bake at 450 for 30 minutes, stirring after 15 minutes. Stir in 1 cup broth; bake 10 minutes. Discard thyme; add eggplant mixture to lentils.

Ingredients you will need

Eggplant

Lentils

Broth

Thyme

Equipment you will use

Oven

Stir in remaining 3 cups broth and parsley; bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 10 minutes.

Ingredients you will need

Parsley

Broth

Remove from heat.

Add spinach; stir gently until spinach wilts. Stir in salt and pepper. Ladle about 1 cup soup into each of 8 bowls; drizzle each serving with 1 teaspoon pomegranate molasses, and top with about 1 tablespoon roasted red bell pepper.

Ingredients you will need

Roasted Red Peppers

Pomegranate Molasses

Salt And Pepper

Spinach

Soup

Equipment you will use

Bowl

Ladle

Wine Note: One wine works well with the earthy, bitter, and sweet flavors in this soup: pinot noir. Good pinot noir demonstrates an earthiness of its own, plus an attractive bitterness and a "sweet spot" of cherry-pomegranate fruitiness. Try Pedroncelli "F. Johnson Vineyard" 2003 from Sonoma County, California ($15). -Karen MacNeil

Ingredients you will need

Pomegranate