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I’m nut’s about soup, so this easy Lentil and Swiss Chard Soup from my Weight Watchers New Complete Cookbook (affiliate link), seemed like a perfect choice for this week’s 38 Power Food’s Blog Group topic, Swiss Chard.
I know it may seem kinda crazy to be making soup in Phoenix this time of year, when the temperatures are still in the high 90s. But when you love soup as much as I do, you don’t let the weather stop you 🙂
I can’t believe how quickly time is whizzing by.
We’re now up to week 13 of our challenge to make and write our way through the ingredients featured in Power Foods: 150 Delicious Recipes with the 38 Healthiest Ingredients (affiliate link) by Martha Stewart and the editors of Whole Living Magazine.
How Many Calories and WW Points In Low Fat Lentil and Swiss Chard Soup?
According to my calculations, each generous 1-1/2 cups serving has 216 calories.
To see your WW Points for this recipe, track it in the WW App!
(You must be logged into WW on a smartphone or tablet.)
5 SmartPoints (Green plan)
1 SmartPoints (Blue plan)
1 SmartPoints (Purple plan)
5 PointsPlus (Old plan)
What Makes Swiss Chard A Power Food?
Well, this staple of the Mediterranean, which was discovered by a Swiss botanist (hence it’s name), is another nutritional powerhouse, containing at least 13 different polyphenol antioxidants, as well as a wide array of vitamins and minerals.
It’s an excellent source of vitamins K, A, and C, as well as a good source of magnesium, potassium, iron, and fiber.
And if you’re watching your weight, you’ll be happy to know that one cup of chopped Swiss chard has just 35 calories (0 WW Points).
Recipe Notes
I made just a couple minor changes to this soup. I added a cup of cooked polenta (because it was in the fridge and it seemed crazy to let it go to waste) which gave the broth nice thickness.
You could also and 1-2 cups of diced tomatoes along with the lentils and broth, for more color and flavor if you wanted.
And I substituted red wine vinegar for the suggested lemon juice.
Be sure to pick over your lentils and remove any stones. Every time I’m tempted to skip this step, I think back to a cooking class I took where the instructor explained she once found a small piece of metal in the lentils she was preparing for a catering event!
This soup turned out hearty and satisfying, perfect for an easy weeknight meal, especially when you add some warm crusty bread. Mom loves Swiss chard so she liked it. Rod liked it. Even my sister (who can be a little picky) liked it. Enjoy!
If you’ve made this low fat Lentil Soup with Swiss Chard, please give the recipe a star rating below and leave a comment letting me know how you liked it. And stay in touch on Pinterest, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter for the latest updates.
Weight Watchers Lentil and Swiss Chard Soup Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- 1 medium onion, peeled and roughly chopped
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 1 cup dried brown lentils, picked over, rinsed and drained
- 4 cups reduced-sodium vegetable broth (affiliate link)
- 2 cups lightly packed thinly sliced swiss chard leaves
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
- 2-3 teaspoons red wine vinegar, or to taste
Instructions
- Place a large saucepan over medium heat and add the oil. Add the onion and garlic and cook, stirring often, until the onion is softened, about 5 minutes.
- Add the lentils and vegetable broth (affiliate link) and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and cover the pot, allowing the mixture to simmer gently until the lentils are tender, about 45 minutes.
- Stir in the chard, salt and pepper, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the chard is wilted, about 5 minutes.
- Stir in the vinegar.
- Taste and adjust the seasonings, adding more salt, pepper and/or vinegar as necessary.
Notes
(Must be logged into WW on a smartphone or tablet.) 5 SmartPoints (Green plan) 1 SmartPoints (Blue plan) 1 SmartPoints (Purple plan) 5 PointsPlus (Old plan) I added about 1 cup of leftover cooked polenta to this soup so it wouldn’t go to waste, which thickened it up quite a bit. You could also and 1-2 cups of diced tomatoes along with the lentils and broth, for more color and flavor if you wanted. Be sure to pick over your lentils and remove any stones. Every time I’m tempted to skip this step, I think back to a cooking class I took where the instructor explained she once found a small piece of metal in the lentils she was preparing for a catering event!
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
If you like WW Lentil Swiss Chard Soup you may also like
- Simple Garden Vegetable Soup (Simple-Nourished-Living)
- Enlightened Cream of Broccoli Cheese Soup (Simple-Nourished-Living)
- Slow Cooker Lentil Soup with Swiss Chard (Everyday Maven)
Sources:
- The World’s Healthiest Foods
- WebMD
What a fantastic soup – Swiss chard is great in soups. And I love how you stirred in some leftover polenta – I hate throwing food out to ;).
I can almost taste these lentils. It is the most comforting food for me. I usually add spinach /kale to the lentils.
The dish looks super super YUMM!
Oh man, you don’t have to tell me how delicious those lentils are, I’m picking up on the taste from here. Mmmmm!!
I adore lentils. Have just been working on a red lentil soup for my book (as the red ones cook more quickly), but this one is gorgeous. I’ll have to try it. Happy weekend!