Lentil Vegetable Soup with Simple Mills' Almond Flour Crackers

Food is so heavily connected to memory. - Alexandra Guarnaschelli

Joe loves telling me stories about his grandma Annie's cooking, especially about her meatballs and her soups. When we went on a soup-making kick, he was determined to recreate his grandma's lentil soup.

Being that he wasn't entirely sure of what was in it or didn't know the recipe, we decided to create our own lentil soup using some of our favorite ingredients, as well as flavors he remembers most from grandma Annie's soup. Here is our take on this beloved memory.

Please note: Lentils are a legume, which means they could lead to stomach discomfort for some people. If you are one of those people, consider replacing the lentils with beans. Garbanzo beans, black, pinto, lima, and fava beans are all good alternatives for this recipe.

Ingredients:

• 1 medium yellow onion, chopped

• 2 carrots, chopped

• 2 stalks of celery, chopped

• 1 cup green or red lentils

• 1 bay leaf, dried or fresh

• 5 cups cold water

• 1 tablespoon olive oil

• 2 cups fresh spinach and/or kale (we used fresh, but frozen is an option)

• 3/4 cup green beans, cut to preferred length

• 1 can of peas, rinsed

• 1/2 teaspoon turmeric

• 1 tablespoon Himalayan salt

• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper

• 1 box Simple Mills Almond Flour Crackers (optional) - we went the Rosemary & Sea Salt flavor

Directions:

1. Combine the onion, carrots, celery, lentils, and bay leaf in a medium-sized stockpot and cover with water. Simmer over medium heat for about 30 minutes.

2. Add olive oil, spinach/kale, green beans, salt, and pepper. Reduce the heat to medium-low and stir a few times. When the spinach/kale begins to wilt down, turn the heat to low and simmer for another 10 minutes. Discard the bay leaf.

3. Serve hot in a bowl topped with Simple Mills Almond Flour Crackers.

For leftovers: store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Just add some water or both if needed when reheating.