Tomatoes serve as the base for many of my favorite soups. There are so many canned varieties these days along with different preparations - chopped, diced, crushed, pureed. My favorite variety as of late are the fire-roasted tomato products from Muir Glen. The smoky flavor and slight charred pieces add amazing depth and color to the finished product. For this particular recipe, I chose the Muir Glen's fire-roasted chopped tomatoes with roasted garlic. The recipe already calls for garlic but because I love garlic and the amount in each can isn't overpowering, I didn't alter the recipe. Make it vegetarian by substituting vegetable broth.

TOMATO-LENTIL SOUP

Adapted from:  The Biggest Loser Recipes

Serves:  6 (3/4c. servings)

Prep Time:  30 minutes start to finish

1/2 c. dried green lentils (don't use french lentils - too delicate for this preparation)

4 c. chicken broth

1 T. olive oil

1-1/2 tsp. yellow mustard seeds

2-15 oz. cans Muir Glen Fire-Roasted tomatoes with fire-roasted garlic*

3 T. peeled, finely chopped fresh ginger

1 tsp. chopped garlic (I use the jarred chopped garlic from Trader Joe's)

1 tsp. ground coriander

1 tsp. ground cumin

1 tsp. ground turmeric

Pinch cinammon

Pinch (generous) cayenne powder

Wash the lentils and drain well in a sieve. Add the lentils and 1-1/2 c. broth to a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer lentils over very low heat until they are tender, but still retain their shape, about 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat the oil in a heavy, large saucepan over medium-high heat until hot but not smoking. Add the mustard seeds and cook, stirring, until the seeds just begin to pop. Carefully add the tomatoes, ginger, garlic, coriander, cumin, turmeric, cinnamon, and cayenne. Simmer until the spices are fragrant, about 4 minutes.

Carefully transfer the tomato-ginger mixture to the bowl of a food processor or blender jar*. Process or blend until smooth. Return to the saucepan and add the cooked lentils an the remaining cup of broth, stirring to incorporate. Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Season to taste with salt.

OPTIONS: I stirred 1 tsp. of coconut oil into my portion which added an incredible creaminess. Garlic oil or wasabi oil would also be a nice addition.

* I skipped this step and used my hand emulsifier directly in the saucepan. Why dirty up a blender if you don't have to!