Donna’s lentil rhubarb soup

This soup has spices that are commonly used in Middle Eastern recipes. The combination of these spices with rhubarb and a touch of sweetness create a tasty unique soup.

For a vegetarian soup, omit the sausage.

1 tablespoon canola oil
2 teaspoons mustard seeds 1 large onion, diced 8 ounces mushrooms, sliced
4 ounces Italian turkey sausage 1 tablespoon minced garlic 1/2 teaspoon Penzey’s Hot Curry Powder 6 cups fat-free chicken broth 1 -1/2 cups green lentils, washed and sorted 1-1/2 cups rhubarb, diced 1 tablespoon brown sugar 1 teaspoon molasses, optional to suit your taste salt and pepper to taste 4 cups fresh spinach*, torn in small pieces

In a large soup pot, heat oil. Add mustard seeds and cook over medium heat until they begin to pop. (They pop like popcorn.) Add onion and cook until translucent. Remove from the pan and set aside. Add mushrooms and cook until lightly brown. Remove from the pan and set aside. Remove sausage from casing and cook in pan over medium-hot heat until brown. Stir to crumble. Add garlic and curry powder or other spices and cook 1 minute while stirring. Add chicken broth to deglaze the pan. Add lentils, rhubarb, brown sugar, and reserved onions and mushrooms.

Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and boil gently for 30 – 40 minutes or until lentils are tender. Add molasses, if desired, to suit your taste. Add salt and pepper to taste. Add extra hot curry powder for a “hotter” soup but be careful to add only a small amount at a time.

If soup is too thick, add additional chicken broth for desired consistency.
When ready to serve add spinach and cook for 1 – 2 minutes or just until wilted.
*Swiss chard or kale can be substitute for the spinach but cooking time will need to be increased. Cook until greens are tender.

Note: Penzey’s Hot Curry Powder has a wonderful unique flavor. It is a combination of many spices but it is hot, so be cautious about adding too much. In place of the hot curry powder substitute a combination of the following spices: 1/4 tsp turmeric, 1/4 tsp cumin, 1/4 tsp coriander, 1/4 tsp cinnamon, 1/4 tsp fennel, 1/4 tsp cardamom, 1/8 tsp red pepper, 1/8 tsp cloves, 1/8 tsp ginger, 1/8 tsp white pepper

Nutritional information per serving (6):

Calories: 170
Fat, gm.: 4
Protein, gm.: 13
Carbs, gm.: 22
Cholesterol, mg.: 10
Fiber, gm.: 10.8