Lunch for Dinner

One of my goals for this year is to make at least one healthy dish for dinner during the week that I can also take for lunch. I work in a natural foods store, so when I don't bring lunch, I find that I often either spend a fortune on lunch ($14 is not unusual), or eat a less than healthy lunch (Essential Wraps) if I am in a hurry.

When I bring my lunch, I tend to eat a meal that is smaller, lower in sodium and fat, and that does a better job of incorporating vegetables and fiber into my diet.

Soup is a great choice for lunches because you can make a lot at once, it's inexpensive to make, and it generally transports and reheats nicely. This soup is one of my favorites- it is delicious, filling, and pretty much cooks itself once everything is chopped.

Erin's Lentil Soup

1 onion chopped
5 (or more) cloves garlic, pressed or chopped
1 carrot sliced
2 stalks celery sliced
2 yellow potatoes cubed
1 cup red lentils
1 cup green lentils (using the 2 kinds of lentils is crucial for the texture. If you don't care so much about the texture you could just use one or the other.)
some oil for the pan
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp garam masala
1/2 tsp cardamom
8 cups water
4 bullion cubes dissolved in some boiled water
1 bunch chard or spinach, chopped coarsely
lemon or lime juice

Saute the onion and garlic in some oil in your soup pot. Next add celery, then carrots and potatoes. Saute briefly, then add your broth/stock. Add lentils and spices. Stir well. Boil. Turn down to
simmer. Let it cook until the lentils are soft. Add the chard and cook 5 more minutes. Add some lemon or lime juice. Stir. Taste it. Add more lemon or lime juice if you need to.