Spring is a very exciting time. It is warming up and I can get back outside! I love to grow things. I plant a vegetable garden & herbs and I have fruit trees & bushes and some flowers all around our house. I’ve had a garden almost every year since I was about 10 years old and I gardened with my Dad.  He did the tilling and the planting and left the weeding to me! But I didn’t mind it too much then and I still don’t. I love to be able to go outside and pick something out of the garden to make for lunch or dinner.

When our kids were little, a favorite activity of mine (and I think of theirs!) was to go to farms where we could pick our own fruits. Strawberries, apples and peaches were by far the favorites. Then, of course, we would have to find things to make with the 10+ pounds of very ripe fruit we got! We always picked way more fruit than the four of us could possibly eat before it spoiled!

Andrew learned to pick peaches before he learned to walk!

I still enjoy farmers’ markets and picking (or picking up) fresh produce and (smaller amounts of) fruit.  We are fortunate to have quite a few farms nearby where we can get the things that I don’t grow – yet.

We are coming into rhubarb season. Most rhubarb recipes out there are some form of a dessert, usually mixed with strawberries. I’m always looking for things that I haven’t seen before so when I came across this rhubarb soup recipe, I was intrigued and just had to try it. I’m glad I did!

Rhubarb-Lentil Soup (adapted from Cooking Light)

Yield: 6 servings

• 1 1/2 cups boiling water
  

  Colorful food is pretty & good for you!

• 3/4 cup dried petite green lentils
• Cooking spray
• 2 cups finely chopped carrot (about 6 carrots)
• 1 3/4 cups finely chopped celery (about 4 ribs)
• 1 1/2 cups finely chopped red onion
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 2 cups chopped rhubarb (about 12 ounces)
• 4 cups vegetable or chicken broth
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 6 tablespoons crème fraîche, sour cream or plain yogurt

Preparation

Soaking the lentils in hot water helps them cook a bit more quickly when they’re added to the soup. Pour 1 1/2 cups boiling water over lentils in a small bowl; let stand 10 minutes. Chop the carrots, celery, onion, rhubarb and cilantro while the lentils are soaking.

Chop it all up!

Heat a medium pot over medium-high heat. Coat the pot with cooking spray. Add the carrot, celery, onion, and cilantro to the pot, sautéing it for 4 minutes.

Sauté the veggies.

Add the rhubarb, and sauté for 3 another minutes.

Toss in the rhubarb.

Drain the lentils then add them to the pot. Stir in the chicken broth and salt, bringing it all to a boil. Cover the pot, reduce the heat, and simmer the soup for 35 minutes or until the lentils are tender.

Add the stock and lentils.

Remove the soup from the heat and let cool it cool for 5 minutes. Blend the soup to desired consistency with a wand blender.

Puree the soup as little or as much as you like.

Stir in the pepper. Serve with a dollop of crème fraîche, sour cream or plain yogurt and garnish with more cilantro, if desired.

A bit of sour cream and some more cilantro completes the meal.

Enjoy the flavors of Spring!  ~Linda

Rhubarb-Lentil Soup (adapted from Cooking Light)

Yield: 6 servings

• 1 1/2 cups boiling water
• 3/4 cup dried petite green lentils
• Cooking spray
• 2 cups finely chopped carrot (about 6 carrots)
• 1 3/4 cups finely chopped celery (about 4 ribs)
• 1 1/2 cups finely chopped red onion
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 2 cups chopped rhubarb (about 12 ounces)
• 4 cups fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 6 tablespoons crème fraîche, sour cream or plain yogurt

Preparation

Soaking the lentils in hot water helps them cook a bit more quickly when they’re added to the soup. Pour 1 1/2 cups boiling water over lentils in a small bowl; let stand 10 minutes. Chop the carrots, celery, onion, rhubarb and cilantro while the lentils are soaking.

Heat a medium pot over medium-high heat. Coat the pot with cooking spray. Add the carrot, celery, onion, and cilantro to the pot, sautéing it for 4 minutes. Add the rhubarb, and sauté for 3 another minutes.

Drain the lentils then add them to the pot. Stir in the chicken broth and salt, bringing it all to a boil. Cover the pot, reduce the heat, and simmer the soup for 35 minutes or until the lentils are tender.

Remove the soup from the heat and let cool it cool for 5 minutes. Blend the soup to desired consistency with a wand blender.

Stir in the pepper. Serve with a dollop of crème fraîche, sour cream or plain yogurt and garnish with more cilantro, if desired.