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Easy Esselstyn Diet Recipes with Pictures: New Zealand Spinach with Lentil Soup

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Dinner - 045	New Zealand Spinach with Lentil Soup
Klaus Stories of Members The Books Community Supported Agriculture Dinner	Dinner A great hearty dish that is very satisfying and pleasing.	Served Freshly picked New Zealand spinach from the CSA farm provides a refreshing mild leafy vegetable that does not fall apart when cooked. Complemented with lentils and spiced with cumin this soup is very tasty and satisfying.
	Get in Advance: ½ cup of low-salt vegetable broth 2 onion, sliced into ½ rings 3 garlic clove, minced 1/2 cups of uncooked brown lentils 1 cup of water 1 cup of low-salt vegetable broth 1 bunch of New Zealand spinach, washed, long stems removed, leaves roughly cut into 1 inch squares 1 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin ½ of ¼ tablespoon white pepper Have On Hand:	Ingredients
	Recipe (Modified to Esselstyn diet from www.recipevegetables.com) For 2 (large) - 3 Portions. Prep time 60 min. Prepare the vegetables Mince garlic Slice onions into thin halved rings Start the soup In a big casserole braise onions by browning for ~ 5-10 min over high heat. Add garlic and sear further 1-2 min, then add ½ cup of low-sodium vegetable broth to solubilize the caramelized layer. Add lentil, water and additional broth and bring mixture to a boil, cover and simmer for 25-30 min until lentils are soft. Prepare New Zealand spinach Wash spinach; remove thicker stems leave tender tips. Cut bunched leaves crosswise to 1 in Finish Soup Add cumin and pepper, and then add the spinach. Simmer covered for 3-5 min, turning over until spinach is heated through and starts to wilt. Add ½ cup of water if needed when cooked down too much. Ready to Serve Serve with crisp or toasted whole grain bread.	Workplace Starting to prepare the New Zealand spinach. Mincing garlic and slicing the halved onions.
	Searing the onions without oil.	Use vegetable broth to pick up the caramelized layer.
	Add vegetable broth, water and lentil and simmer.	Washing and removing the thicker stems.
	Cut bunched leaves into strips.	Add spinach to stock, turn over and simmer covered for a few minutes.
	Prepared First try, but the NZ spinach was overcooked.
08-13-2011. I made the same recipe with MRVG CIA New Zealand Spinach but used Small Green French Lentils. They are much tastier but needed 30 min to cook.	Prepared This time I was especially careful not to overcook the spinach, but it turned out to be still too much – see to the right.	Served This was again an easy to prepare and delicious meal however, the NZ spinach still was overcooked.
09-02-2011. I made the same recipe with MRVG CIA New Zealand Spinach and original recipe.	Prepared Again I tried not to overcook the spinach. Only 3 min after several times having the lentils with broth turned over the NZ spinach (total of 5 min). This worked just fine.	Served 60 min total time. Starts to be my favorite lentil dish.
09-17-2011. This is my favorite lentil dinner. Using the fresh and crisp MRVG CIA New Zealand Spinach made all the difference in retaining the fresh “green” and earthy taste of the spinach.	New Zealand Spinach leaves bunched and cut crosswise into squares	Prepared 5 min total seems just right for “cooking” the spinach. It actually should only be warmed through since it will continue warming while served.
	Dinner NZ spinach provides much more substance and flavor than green spinach and does not so easily boil down to mush. That is why it provides such a delicious meal.	Served Although most of the leaves did not wilt the NZ spinach was perfect for eating. 60 min total time. Now, this is my favorite lentil dish!
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