Kale & Loaded Veggie Soup

No Meat? No Problem! My Kale and Loaded Veggie Soup is has so many flavors that you won't even notice it's meatless. From the crunchy texture of the celery to the softness of the potatoes and kale, this meal meets your per meal nutrition needs and your daily dose of yum :-)

Every now and then after eating meat everyday, I get in the mood for a vegetarian meal and sometimes a veggie burger or salad with nuts doesn't do the trick. I have noticed that while trying to stay on track with my meal plans, "one pot" meals are the easiest way to make sure I eat all of my carbs, protein and veggies.

Enjoy my Kale and Loaded Veggie Soup for any occasion or weather. Option to serve as an appetizer in a 4oz cup topped with a sauteed mushroom or on the side of any dinner meal.

Ingredients:

2 cups of baby kale

3 cups of veggie broth and 3 cups of water

1 cup of hominy (in a can, drain the excess water); Option to change to garbanzo beans

1/2 cup of lentils

1 jalapeno

4-5 small red/purple potatoes

3 small celery sticks

1/2 small white onion

Servings: 2-3

Directions:

1. In a medium pot, bring the 3 cups of water and 3 cups of veggie broth to a boil with the 1/2 onion on medium/high heat (no need to cut onion to smaller pieces. For extra flavor add garlic salt, seasoning salt and pepper.

2. Chop the potatoes, celery and jalapeno. Once the broth is boiling add the potatoes, celery and jalapeno and lentils and lower the heat to medium. Cook until potatoes and lentil are soft (15 minutes).

3. Once the potatoes and lentils are cooked thoroughly, slightly lower the heat and add the hominy and kale and cook for 5 minutes. Let stand for 5 minutes before serving.

Serve: Top with shredded cabbage and your choice of hot sauce. Adding spices to your food is known to speed up your metabolism, and thus burn extra calories.