This lentil soup has been a go to fall and winter recipe for us for years. It's easy enough to make on a weeknight, makes plenty of leftovers, and is satisfying without being bad for you or unhealthy. Plus it's affordable and perfect for fall! It's a real winner winner not chicken dinner.  

4 strips of bacon

3 medium carrots

1 yellow onion

1 1/2 cup dry lentils

2 tsp dried Tyme 

Salt/pepper 

2 cans chicken broth 

1/2 cup water 

3 garlic cloves 

2 tablespoons tomato paste 

1 tsp red wine vinegar

Chop your bacon into lentil sized peices. In a heavy soup pan crisp your bacon on medium heat. (Non crisp peices will be gross in the soup later, so be patient). Then chop your onion and carrots into lentil sized peices and add them into the pot. Cook until onions are clear. Add salt and pepper. Then add minced garlic and tomato paste and cook for another minute. Then add your lentils, cans of stock, Tyme, and salt and pepper again. 

Bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer and cook covered for 45 minutes. If you cook out all the stock you can add 1/2 cup of water later on. Add your vinegar at the end. Salt and pepper again as needed. You can top with Parmesan shavings if you want, but it really doesn't need it. Enjoy!

Hope this soup makes all your cozy autumn dreams come true. Enjoy!

This is one of those recipes that I wished photographed better. It was so delicious and has so many wonderful things going for it. I wish it also had beautiful photos going for it because some recipes taste so good, they deserve to go viral. Alas, the photos aren't super gorgeous, but don't let that disuade you from this amazing recipe. Yes, it's meatless, but it's full of protein and flavors that won't leave you minding. Go ahead and try this great vegetarian dish tonight. You can even easily make it vegan by substituting out the mayo! 

Ingredients: 

1 large head cauliflower, chopped into 1/2 to 1/4 inch pieces
1 large onion, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tabespoons tomato paste
1/2 tsp ground cummin
1/4 tsp chili powder
3/4 cup red lentils
2 cups chicken stock
3 tablespoons olive oil
1/3 cup mayonaise
juice of 1/2 a lime
1 tablespoon southwest chipotle seasoning
tortillas
1 bunch cilantro 
salt and pepper

Directions: 
Toss your cauliflower in 2 tablespoons of olive oil, salt, and pepper. Roast in even layer on baking sheet at 425 for 25-30 minutes, stirring 1/2 way through. In a medium sized warm 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium heat. Saute your onion and garlic with salt until onions have softened. Add your tomato paste, cumin, and chili powder and saute for 1 more minute. Add your lentils and broth. Simmer uncovered for 15-20 minutes until lentils are cooked through. In a small bowl whisk together your mayo, lime juice, chipotle seasoning, and some salt and pepper. Warm your tortillas and layer your lentils, cauliflower, and chipotle sauce on top, garnish with cilantro. 

My friend loves to double the beans in this recipe and eat the beans as left overs throughout the week. This was a delicious dinner menu for those nights when you forget to thaw a protein or are looking for something for meatless Monday. We hope you enjoy it! 

We recently went to Disney's Epcot in Orlando Florida. Right now they are doing their Flower and Garden Festival and their beautiful themed topiaries are not to be missed! While visiting Epcot's Morocco, we at at Restaurant Marrakesh. They have this TO DIE FOR lentil salad. In a park as huge as Epcot, with so many wonderful culinary choices, to say something was my favorite thing I ate all day really means something. This salad is super fresh, flavorful, and healthy! And it's also easy to make. So as you know from past experience with this blog, those things make it a real winner. 

Ingredients: 

1 1/2 cup green lentils

1/4 red onion, finely diced

1 bell pepper, finely diced

1 tablespoon chopped parsley

1 tablespoon chopped cilantro

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar 

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons mayonaise

1 1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

Directions: 

Place lentils in a pot of 4 cups of cold water. Turn on heat to high and boil for 15 minutes. Remove from heat, drain, and rinse with cold water to stop the lentils from cooking. Mix the lentils with all of the other ingredients. Make sure you have diced everything very finely, because you will want your onion and pepper pieces to be the same size or smaller than 1 lentil. Refrigerate until cold. Adjust seasoning as needed. 

This salad is one for the books. You will love how low in fat, full of flavor, and delicious this recipe is. You might just be able to pretend you are somewhere exotic like Morocco, or at least Orlando. :)