I love soups.  They are healthy (usually), hearty and satisfying.   Especially in cooler weather.  I also love them as lunches to take to work as a healthy alternative to cafe food or takeaways.

The other day I was craving soup, but I wanted something different instead of my go to soup, minestrone.  So, I decided to make a lentil and vegetable soup.

Lentils are a pulse that come from the seed of the annual plant lens culinaris.  They have been used in the human diet since the stone age and low in fat, high in protein and high in fiber.  Health wise lentils contain a source of cholesterol lowering fiber, help regulate blood sugar and are one of the best vegetable sources of iron.  Their iron content is particularly important for vegetarians or anyone suffering from iron deficiency, such as myself.

For my lentil and vegetable soup recipe I used du puy, or French green lentils and in France they are known as the poor mans caviar.  French green lentils are dark green, almost black, in colour.