It seems like forever ago that I was able to steal away an hour (which, naturally, ended up being only 40 minutes due to some misbehavior issues #KidsRule) and I went to Panera Bread with my laptop to do some brainstorming. I didn't want to eat too heavy, and as a vegetarian I felt like my options were limited to a vegetable sandwich, which can get pretty boring after the umpteenth time.
So without thought I ordered the Lentil Quinoa Broth Bowl with Cage-Free Egg and let me tell you something - my tastebuds were in gastronomical heaven! I rushed home and wrote down what I could remember of the ingredients, and later checked out the full list of ingredients and nutrition from Panera's website.
That's how I was able to fill in the flavor gap from the original recipe over at The Balanced Berry.
Now, I'm not a food blogger, by any means. I'm also not a photographer. I'm a mom; a very busy mom who has to feed her family in between drop-offs, pick-ups, shopping for groceries and the home, and the all-time favorite, cleaning - all while sharing 1 car with full-time-working-night-student-husband.
So when I find a hit like this, you better believe I'm going to share it without too much concern for how my pictures look :) This hearty and flavorful soup will definitely be making the rounds on our dinner menu this Winter, and I hope you'll give it a try, too!
So, for kicks, here's the picture from Panera's website:
On to the recipe.
Ingredients:
- ½ Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 1 small Onion, chopped
- 1 clove Garlic, minced
- 1 cup brown Lentils (⅓ cup dry cooked in 1+ cup water until almost tender)
- ¼ cup uncooked Quinoa (I love to use 365 Super Grains from Whole Foods)
- ¼ cup Sun-dried Tomatoes in oil, roughly chopped
- 1 can diced Tomatoes
- 4 cups Miso Broth
- 2 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1 Bay Leaf
- 1 tsp Paprika
- Dash of Cayenne
- Salt & Pepper to taste
- ½ cup fresh Spinach, roughly chopped
- ½ cup fresh Kale, roughly chopped
- 1 fresh Lemon, sliced
- 2 hard-cooked Eggs (or, 8oz cooked Chicken if that's your thing)
I know what you're thinking: How the heck am I expected to make a soup with that many ingredients?! But, please, keep reading and see how SIMPLE it really is! Your belly will thank you, I promise :D
Instructions:
- Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic, sauté for a few minutes until onions are translucent and garlic is fragrant but not burned or colored.
- Add all of the other ingredients, except for the greens, lemon, and eggs. (See what I was saying??)
- Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer for 30-40 minutes, or until grains and lentils are thoroughly cooked.
- After ladling into bowls, top with some chopped greens, a halved egg (or some chicken), and one slice of lemon.
- Jab your lemon slice a couple of times to release the flavor.
- Devour.
Enjoy!
And, as usual, if you dare to try (you won't regret it), please share your experience and/or pictures on the SC Facebook page!
