Recipe: Lentil Minestrone Soup

 It's winter time... and here is a little recipe that will warm your bones!

What you need:
3 cups lentils
6-8 cups broth (veggie, beef or chicken) 
3 carrots
  2-4 cups broccoli
1 onion
2 garlic cloves
4 Tbls butter or oil
 4-6 cups tomato sauce 
 (we used our own sauce that we canned)
1-2 green and red bell peppers
1-2 cups green beans 
1 lb hamburger meat 


What To Do:
1. In the bottom of your soup pot, saute onion, garlic, pepper and butter or oil.
2. Add hamburger meat, and brown.
3.Once meat is done, add lentils and half of the broth and simmer with the lid on while you prepare your other ingredients.

4.Prepare carrots, bell peppers, broccoli, green beans (I used organic frozen broccoli and green beans, which helped to cut down on prep. time)
5.  Throw in your veggies, tomato sauce, and the rest of the broth.
6. Simmer soup for 20 minutes, or until everything is nice and soft.
7. Top with some cheese, salt to taste and enjoy the warmth!

 This soup is Gluten- Free and Gaps diet approved. It's a very flexible soup, so if there are any vegetables you cannot tolerate, you can easily replace them. I think eggplant and yellow squash would be tasty, too. I know this soup is called a minestrone, so if you can tolerate pasta, feel free to add 2 cups of shell or bow pasta to yours.

I hope this recipe will help keep you warm and healthy during the cold weather. I would love some feed back if you try this soup.
Blessings, Layla