How many vegetables can you cram into one delicious, comforting soup? Well, in the case of this Red Lentil Soup with Root Vegetables and Sage, the answer is six: onion, bell pepper, carrots, celery, potatoes, and lentils, which are technically a vegetable.
This hearty recipe comes straight from the pages of Plant-Powered for Life: Eat Your Way to Lasting Health with 52 Simple Steps & 125 Delicious Recipes by Sharon Palmer, RDN. Here in New England it’s still cold outside (hard to believe), so this soup really hit the spot this week. And interestingly, when I made it, the aroma reminded me of my year as a dietetic intern living in Portland, OR (in 1982 to be exact) when I shopped for the very first time at a food coop. The dried herbs and spices in that store were intensely aromatic, and that intoxicating aroma is exactly how this soup smelled as it bubbled on my stove.
Sharon Palmer is known as the Plant-Powered Dietitian. In a recent survey of my online community (that’s you!), I asked about topics folks wanted to hear about on the new podcast. “Adding more plant-based and vegetarian foods to my family’s diet,” was one of the most requested topics, so I invited Sharon onto the show to offer her best tips for making the switch from a meat-based diet to a diet rich in plants.
You can tune in to Episode 4 of Liz’s Healthy Table by simply clicking the PLAY button above.
I enjoyed having Sharon on the show so much and cooking a few of the recipes from her book (including a recipe for Tofu Cobb Salad), that I decided to give away a copy of her book: Plant-Powered for Life.
It’s Giveaway Time: One lucky reader/listener can now enter to win a free copy of Plant-Powered for Life (U.S. only, please). To enter, just post a comment below and tell me why you want to win the book and/or your best tip for adding more vegetarian and vegan meals to your family’s diet. Giveaway ends June 21st at noon ET. {Giveaway has ended.}
The things I love most about this book are the practical tips like Choose Foods as Close to Nature as Possible, Make Variety Your Motto, and Love Your Legumes for Protein and Beyond and how each tip is paired with recipes that bring that advice to life.
Her recipes feature fresh herbs, interesting spices, fruits, vegetables, pulses (beans, chickpeas, lentils, dried peas), whole grains, tofu, nuts and seeds. Each recipe is rich in health-enhancing antioxidants, fresh flavors, and they’re easy to adapt IF you want to add a little cheese, meat, or seafood as an accent.
- Serves: 8
- Serving size: About 1 cup
- Calories: 141
- Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 27g
- Sodium: 25mg
- Fiber: 10g
- Protein: 8g
- 6 cups water
- One 14.5 ounce can diced tomatoes, no salt added, with liquid
- 1 teaspoon reduced sodium vegetable broth base
- 1 small onion, diced
- ½ medium bell pepper (red, yellow, or orange), diced
- 1 cup celery, chopped
- 2 medium carrots, chopped
- 2 small red potatoes, diced
- 2 medium garlic cloves, minced
- 1 cup dried red lentils
- 1 ½ teaspoons dried sage
- ½ teaspoon low-sodium herbal seasoning blend
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- Combine the water and tomatoes in a large pot on the stovetop. Stir in the broth base and turn the heat to medium-high.
- dd the onion, bell pepper, celery, carrots, potatoes, garlic, red lentils, sage, herbal seasoning, and paprika.
- Stir well, cover, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer for 40 to 45 minutes, until the vegetables are tender. Add water as needed to replace moisture lost to evaporation, although the consistency should be thick and hearty.
- {Liz} I added salt and pepper to taste and topped with grated Parmesan cheese.
Thanks Liz so much for encouraging more people to go meatless even if it’s just one meal a week. My family eats meat less several nights per week . I would love to add this book to my cookbook selection. I have three daughters who are also learning to love fruits and vegetables. Thank you so much for your new blog and podcast series.
Hi Ashley: Well, Sharon certainly has a lot of delicious ideas! Thanks for stopping by and for your feedback 🙂
You can call me your poster child for substitutions . Came gone from the grocery and didn’t realize I only had green lentils at home . Made it with those and it came out fine
Awesome!! Glad it worked out AOK 🙂
Liz,
Thanks so much for including this recipe and chatting with me! Love your new site and podcasts.
Sharon Palmer
Well, it was such a pleasure having you on the show!! Great recipes and tips. Can’t thank you enough…
I would love to win this cookbook because I’m always on the search for healthy, delicious recipes. (Plus, I’m a cookbook addict and I’ll never have enough!) I haven’t had a chance to listen to the podcast yet, but I’d love to know more about the author’s 52 simple steps.
It would be awesome to win, as I’ve never won a giveaway before! But in all seriousness, this book may be a useful tool for me going forward making lifestyle changes as I just recently had surgery due to severe endometriosis.
Well, good nutrition is a key component of healing after surgery, and choosing plant-based foods is key. So rich in nutrients. Focus on protein and vitamin C!
I would love to win this book to get more ideas on different dishes to make for the family to convince them that eating more meatless meals can be super delicious.
This would be perfect for my new lifestyle change! I’m trying to eliminate animal products and get more greens in my meals. I’m really interested in trying my instapot with these new soup recipes and my goal is to start juicing!
I want an Instapot! I think the soup would be perfect and cook up in no time. Happy to hear about your healthy lifestyle change. Way to go! Look around my site…I’m sure you’ll find lots of healthy recipes to try 🙂
This cookbook looks awesome. I am really trying to incorporate more veggies in my families diet. It’s difficult sometimes to get away from all the carbs (bread, rice and pasta). I would really like some new ideas as I tend to get in the rut of always making the same thing for dinner. Thanks!
I can relate. My boys are crave carbs. Thankfully they love hummus, so carrot sticks and sliced English cucumber are often the appetizer to our meals! Thanks for stopping by.
I enjoy making meatless Wednesday at our house. My substitute is beans to stir fry, taco and soups. Would enjoy some new recipes from your plant powered for life cook book to put on the menu. Thank you for all your ideas.
Meatless Wednesday. Sounds good to me!!
We’ve been doing a meatless dinner with my kids (8&9) for about 2 years now. Lunches are often meatless without comment. More ideas, please!
You got it. The book is packed with tips … and Sharon shared lots of them on the podcast. Tune in!! And good luck w/ the giveaway 🙂
I made a goal last year to have Meatless Monday’s…which I did…once. Haha
I’d love to incorporate more meatless dishes into my recipes for my family (5&7 year old kiddos and hubby). This soup looks amazing too!
You are too funny. Well, at least you set the goal! Tune into the podcast and I’ll bet Sharon’s tips will inspire you to keep up your Meatless Monday goal!
I would love to eat more meatless meals for both environmental & health reasons. Thanks so much for the the wonderful recipe & tips!
I’m trying very hard to feed my family meatless meals most of the time. This book would really come in handy! We eat a lot of eggs, tofu & beans for protein.
Would love to add this book to my collection! I finely chop veggies and add them to pasta sauces and curries, they add texture and bulk and my kids don’t even notice they are there!!
My son isn’t huge into meat, and havingbeen a vegetarian myself for many years I don’t like pushing meat on him. I love having new healthy and delicious recipes to use!
I would love to add this book to my cookbook collection because I am always looking for new & delicious recipes for my family.
I loved the idea of intentionally making small changes to eat more plant based – would love to read this cookbook! Love the new podcast, Liz – keep it up!!!
Glad you’re enjoying the podcast!
I’m looking for new and inventive ways of adding more veggies to our dinners. My husband is your typical Beef and Potatoes but I grew up with a ton of fresh veggies from my grandparents garden. between keeping the kids interested in veggies and our various health issues (his Diabetes & High Cholestrol and my High Blood Pressure) I’d like to start moving toward more health meals with veggies and beans.
Rhonda – plant-based meals are so good for lowering body weight as well as high blood pressure and cholesterol. I welcome you to look around my site and Sharon’s site. Between us, we have lots of terrific and tasty ideas!
LIke you, I have a son who is home from college and he wants to get healthier. I also have a husband who likes his steak, as a matter of fact he calls himself “a steak eating machine”. But he is beginning to have health issues. I would really like to find delicious meals to make for my family that don’t include meat.
A steak eating machine. Now that is the first time I’ve heard that one! I am a big fan of lean beef, but I eat it in moderation. Maybe twice a month. Sharon’s recipes would indeed offer a delicious balance 🙂
I would love to incorporate more meatless meals into our family dinners that don’t always include pasta or cheese as the main source. I would love for myself and my two young daughters to learn to love vegetable based meals so we can expand our pallets and healthy meal options. Thanks for all you offer in your podcast!!
Lindsey, thanks for stopping by. Sharon’s book is filled with so many delicious recipes, and because they are vegan, none are made with cheese! Not that I have anything against cheese … but they are dairy free. Glad you’re enjoying the podcast!
I would love to win the cookbook because I want to find more tempting vegetarian meals to get my son to eat vegetables.
I would love this cookbook to give me fresh new ways to feed my 3 kids healthy meals. My youngest is 1 and already has an aversion to vegetables so I know I need to make them tasty! I love cooking and trying new recipes.
It does sound like the book is right up your alley. Have you listened to the Picky Eater podcast episode yet? I think you’ll enjoy it 🙂
My kids and I are trying out both of the recipes mentioned in the show tonight! We are going to try and go meatless one day a week as well. Thanks for the great recipes and tips!
Enjoy. And look around my site and Sharon’s site for many more vegetarian recipes!
I’d love to win this cookbook as I am always looking for ways to incorporate more vegetables (and less meat) to our meals. I love your new podcast and website!
Thanks Deanna. Feel free to spread the word about the podcast. It’s brand new, and I’m itching to get the word out!! Appreciate your stopping by. And if you haven’t joined my Podcast Posse yet on Facebook, here is the link: https://www.facebook.com/groups/283656302090924/
I would love to win this cookbook. I am always trying to find delicious meatless recipes that my kids will eat. Oftentimes, I feel like they leave the table hungry on meatless night.
You make a good point. Beans are pretty filling, and one thing I’m going to start doing w/ my boys is to add chia seeds to fruit smoothies and smoothie bowls. Chia seeds absorb water and literally keep you feeling fuller for longer. Here’s a recipe you might enjoy: https://www.lizshealthytable.com/2016/03/16/gorgeous-green-smoothie-bowl/
One of my daughters is vegetarian. It would be good to have new ways of making sure she is eating nutritiously as well.
This giveaway would be awesome for me. I have recently had to start making changes to my diet. Last year, after 42 years for eating seafood and shellfish several times a month, I have now developed an allergy. Not to mention that I am overweight and have started experiencing thyroid issues. All of that makes for a need to change the way I normally do things and get more serious about my health. I’ve been on a green smoothie and more clean eating lifestyle lately. However, I would like to get inspired by different recipes to help me along my journey. By the way, I didn’t realize that you had a new podcast. I will have to check it out!
Hi Tonia: Yes. Please check out the new podcast. And speaking of green smoothies, you may like my Gorgeous Green Smoothie Bowl! https://www.lizshealthytable.com/2016/03/16/gorgeous-green-smoothie-bowl/
My family has been cooking “meatless mondays” for awhile now, and I would love to add more meatless days to our week. Sharon’s book looks fantastic!
I would LOVE to win this cookbook! I’m a longtime vegetarian, but am always on the lookout to find new and delicious ways to incorporate veggies into my family’s diet.
I’m vegan and this would be a great addition to my collection.
This vegan thing is really taking off. I’d like to check it out,
I would like to win the cookbook because I love new recipes, and I am always looking for healthy and tasty recipes for my family.
This cookbook would be amazing! I am vegetarian and sometimes find it difficult to try new recipes! I would love to add new ways of vegetarian in my diet. My daughter just recently asked me about becoming vegetarian as well. This would be so fun to let her help me cook in the kitchen with her and hopefully let her explore just how fun it can be being a vegetarian!
This is a great book for people starting out w/ vegetarian diets! Thanks for stopping by 🙂
I would like to win this book to give me more ideas to help my family of 4 teenagers to incorporate more meatless meals in our weekly dinner plan.
Incorporating healthy, vegetable rich foods into our diets is not only possible but delicious, thanks to the recipes shared in your book. Thanks for the chance to win a copy of this book. Showing my family how to eat more vegetables in place of meat would be a great step towards a healthier lifestyle.
I would love to when this cook book because I would like to start having at least a couple meatless meals a week but honestly do not know where to begin or make tasty vegetarian meals my family would enjoy.
Sharon’s book is a great guide to getting started! Good luck w/ the giveaway. And thanks for stopping by.
I spend so much time showcasing vegetables and whole grains that we literally forget about meat… we have little kids and they would rather have sliced avocado or a handful of pecans instead anyway!
It is a challenge to find anything healthy with vegetable to make my family that they actually will eat. This cookbooks changes that!!!
I am not a big meat eater but my husband seems to think that a meal is not complete without meat. I am always looking out for delicious recipes that can convince him that a meal can be healthy, nutritious and satisfying without meat.
Well, then this is the book for you!
My mother has Alzheimer’s and she is on many types of medications that I believe are driving her tastes buds crazy. She won’t eat meat because she says it tastes funny, but I can get her to eat vegetables. I need to learn to cook vegetables for her in such a way that I can also provide the protein she needs . I love your podcasts. Thank you.
Hi Eleni: Sorry to hear about your mom. Would she eat tofu? What about dairy foods like cheese and Greek yogurt? Eggs? All great vegetarian sources of protein. Of course, there’s also seafood, if she’ll accept it. Hang in there. Thanks for stopping by and for your kind words about LHT.
I want to win because i want to try these recipes
We love meatless meals! I’ve found the best ways to go meatless are to cook recipes that are tried and true – looks like this cookbook might be one of the best tricks!!! We also like taking a meal, like Chicken Pad Thai, and switching the chicken for tofu! Often, it’s not the meat that makes it delicious, but the seasonings!
Great tip. Thanks for sharing!
I would love to have meatless meal ideas. I have a husband with very simple veggie tastes that dislikes many of the great veggies out there. The more great tasting recipes to entice him with the better.
More evidence-based medicine promotes eating more vegetables as a healthy choice. I would love to be the inspiration for my patients (using this cookbook) who I am trying to convince what food choices we make do matter to our overall health and well-being.
I could not agree more. Thanks for stopping by 🙂
I would love this cookbook. I’m trying hard to get my kids to try new things and these recipes look great. Plus I love cookbooks.
I’m going to give the lentil and root vegetables soup a whirl in my electric pressure cooker. I’ve gotten pretty good at adapting recipes to the pressure cooker. I’ll let you know how it turns out!
Great idea. I’m itching to find out how long it takes to cook. Can’t be too long 🙂