Slow-Cooker Sweet Potato and Lentil Soup

So what does a "Mother of the Bride" do when it is approximately six months before her daughter's wedding and she is not happy with her appearance?  She joins a gym to workout a couple of hours every day and she goes on a low fat diet consisting primarily of vegetables.  At least that is what I am doing, and why I was happy to see this recipe for Sweet Potato and Lentil Soup in the December, 2011 issue of the Food Network Magazine. The ingredients of sweet potatoes, carrots, leeks, and red lentils, seasoned with fresh ginger and curry, sounded very appealing to me, and the approximate 257 calories a serving was a definite plus!

Best of all, it is a slow cooker recipe!

Perfect for this busy holiday season, when there is so much to do!

The most labor intensive part of making this soup is chopping all the vegetables into small pieces. I happen to enjoy chopping vegetables as I find it a meditative experience.  If I know I am going out for the day I will do this preperation the night before, so that all I have to do in the morning is add the ingredients into the slow cooker and turn it on.  Since this recipe is set to cook for eight hours on low heat, it's perfect for a very busy day.

How nice to come home to a bowl of wonderfully fragrant, hot soup!

  The recipe as it appears in the Food Network Magazine:

Slow-Cooker Sweet Potato and Lentil Soup

Total Time: 8 hr 25 min.

Prep: 25 min.

Cook:  8 hr 0 min.

Yield:4 servings

Ingredients

1 large sweet potato, peeled and diced

3 medium carrots, cut into 1/2-inch pieces

3 stalks celery, cut into 1/2-inch pieces

2 leeks, halved lengthwise and cut into 1/2-inch pieces (white and light green parts only)

3/4 cup dried yellow or red lentils

1 4-inch piece ginger, peeled and finely grated

1 teaspoon curry powder

Kosher salt

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced

Juice of 1/2 lemon, plus lemon wedges for serving (optional)

1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro


Directions

Combine the sweet potato, carrots, celery, leeks, lentils, ginger, 3/4 teaspoon curry powder and 1 teaspoon salt in a 4-to-6-quart slow cooker. Add 6 cups water and stir, then cover and cook on low, undisturbed, 8 hours.

Stir the soup vigorously with a whisk to make a rough puree. Thin with hot water, if desired.

Melt the butter in a small skillet over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and the remaining 1/4 teaspoon curry powder and cook until the curry powder is slightly toasted, about 1 minute. Stir the curry mixture into the soup and add the lemon juice, cilantro, and salt to taste. Serve with lemon wedges.

Per serving: Calories 257; Fat 4 g (Saturated 2 g); Cholesterol 8 mg; Sodium 580 mg; Carbohydrate 45 g; Fiber 10 g; Protein 12 g

 
Did you watch the Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony on TV last night? This photo is of  last year's beautiful tree (view more photos here)  I contemplated going to the ceremony but when I heard that President Obama was also in mid town Manhattan last evening, attending another event, I decided to wait another year.  I knew all the added security would make a very crowded event even more difficult to see.  I'll visit this year's tree as soon as I can -- I never miss seeing it!  Happy December 1st!
 
I'm adding this post to "Alphabe" Thursday on Jenny Matlock's blog -- the letter this week is "D" -- December's perfect soup! I'm also joining in on Foodie Friday on Designs By Gollum. Thanks to both blog hosts!