Monday, May 20, 2019

Delicious Sides For Easy Lentil Soup

By Melissa Jones


Year-round soups make a delicious and reliable meal or comfort food. The key to making a great experience is finding the right sides. There are many sides that work with an easy lentil soup. The flavors and textures of the sides will help to enhance the soups. They should be relatively easy to make and delicious when done. There is no better comfort than an incredible soup and side.

Salads are a great side for any dish. There are several varieties that include simple fresh lettuce with croutons and dressing. Others include roasted walnut halves and red onion on a bed of lettuce with oil and vinaigrette. A fresh bed of spinach with red onions, walnuts, and a warm brown butter dressing makes for a delicious and mostly healthy side.

A fun side is the potato puff. It is easy to make and can be stored in the refrigerator or freezer for quick snacks later. The idea is to take leftover mashed potatoes and add cheeses, bacon, chives, and other tasty ingredients. Add a couple of eggs to stiffen them up. Scoop them into a muffin tin and bake for 20 minutes or until the tops begin to darken to a nice golden brown.

Roasted garlic broccoli is a healthy and fast side. Simply take either fresh or frozen cut florets and arrange them on a cookie sheet. Add in some olive oil and garlic to mix. Roast for about 20 minutes until they are nice and done. Sprinkle a bit of Parmesan cheese over them and serve as a side dish for any type of meal.

A favorite is the pull-apart cheese bread. This is great for dipping in soups of all kinds or just as a snack. Using artisan round bread, cut it in a crisscross pattern and avoid cutting all the way through the base. Then stuff cheese and spices between the cuts and put it in the oven on a baking sheet. Cover it for the first twenty minutes while the cheese melts down into the bread. The last ten minutes should be done uncovered to allow some crispness to be added to the cheese. When ready to eat, simply put on a plate and let your guests pull the pieces out, dip and enjoy.

Pita chips are delicious and not hard to make. Take some pita bread and cut it into triangle shapes. Next, sprinkle some spices over them and finally brush with olive oil. They should be baked above 350 degrees to help them crisp up. You may want to flip them part way through the process to crisp both sides. When they're crispy they are done and ready to serve.

Toasted Naan bread makes a great side dish. You can lightly toast it in the oven. It's the best cut into rectangles before toasting. Adding roasted red pepper hummus really sets it off as a great dish. Hummus can be made at home easily with garbanzo beans, or chickpeas, and just a couple other ingredients in a food processor in just a couple of minutes. With or without the hummus, the toasted Naan bread is a great addition to soups.

When snack time or dinner time arrives, having some delicious healthy choices is always good. If you prefer salads, lettuce or spinach make a great base. Add in the right extras with healthy dressings. The other sides that are easy and preferred include Pita, Naan, and other types of breads.




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