Greek-Style Lentil Soup with Crispy Olives

Hi everyone! One of my passions, other than cooking, is BOOKS! I love books of all kinds. I find great inspiration from recipe blogs (obviously or I wouldn't be doing this! ) but I also love to turn the pages of a great cookbook. Anna Ruth and I browsed the library lately and I picked out a few cookbooks. Although I'm not trying to lose weight, I do try to cook healthy and flavorful food so this title intrigued me. I usually scan a few recipes (and their ingredients) before checking a cookbook out to see if I think the food will taste bland or grand! This was grand. :)
This will be a favorite soup in our house, for sure! We had this with bread one night, and cheese sandwiches another. We ate the soup with the Greek Yogurt and olives the first night, and just plain left-over night. BOTH were delicious! ! My meat-loving husband even loved it. :)
This was so filling if you are trying to lose weight I think you could easily be filled up with just this, or you might even have some raw veggies and dip on the side too.
Greek-Style Lentil Soup with Crispy Olives

• 1/2 pound brown lentils, picked over and rinsed
• 4 1/2 cups water
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 medium carrots, cut into 1/4" pieces
• 2 medium onions, chopped
• 1 medium rib celery, chopped
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme, crushed
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano, crushed
• 1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary, crushed
• 3/4 cup tomato puree
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 cup chopped green olives
• 2 teaspoons cornstarch
• 4 tablespoons plain low-fat or fat-free yogurt

Directions

1. COMBINE the lentils, water, garlic, carrots, onions, celery, thyme, pepper, oregano, and rosemary in a large saucepan or Dutch oven. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to low and cover. Simmer, stirring occasionally, for 30 minutes, or until the lentils are tender. Stir in the tomato puree, salt, and cinnamon. Simmer for 20 minutes to blend the flavors.
2. WHILE the soup cooks, preheat the oven to 400°F. Blot the olives with a paper towel to remove excess moisture. Place in a small bowl and sprinkle with the cornstarch, tossing gently to cover evenly. Place on a piece of heavy-duty foil or a small baking sheet and bake until crisp, about 10 minutes.
3. TOP each bowl of soup with 1 tablespoon yogurt and 2 teaspoons olives.
   
   
   Happy Eating!
   Sara :)