Vegan Soyrizo Lentil Soup

#Flashback Friday for all my vegetarian friends with this hearty Lentil & Sausage soup that is now only 1 WW Freestyle Smartpoint a serving.

Happy Tuesday all!  Thanks for sharing in the fun I’ve had the past few days at the 4th Annual Foodbuzz Festival.  I had a blast eating my way through San Francisco, but, I pretty much reach my rich food limit.  I couldn’t wait to get back to the kitchen to start cooking and whipping up some new recipes.

Starting with this morning’s “Egg Roll”.  Do you all remember a last month when the Vendor at the Alameda Antique Fair whipped up my special “healthy” egg roll.

Today…I followed her lead.  I “fried” a tortilla in nonstick spray and topped it with a slice of cheese after flipping it.  Topped with Sriracha….

Plus a “fried” egg.

Roll it up for a “healthy” egg roll (SF + 1 WPA) – 4 points+

Our fall weather has finally arrived and so has my desire to have soup at like every single meal.  I have been craving this Chorizo Lentil Soup ever since we had it at Michael’s Deli.  I am pretty sure Michael’s version is the full on not so healthy version.

In this recipe, I decided to put a healthy spin on the Chorizo by swapping it for Soyrizo.  Soyrizo has all the flavor of a nice spicy sausage and I guarantee you won’t know it’s tofu.  This coming from someone who pretty much never, ever eats tofu.  I took a short cut by using steamed, ready to eat lentils, however, dried would work well too.

To round out my spicy lentil soup, I packed it with crunchy veggies and sweet, fire roasted corn to add another layer of smoky flavor.

VEGAN SOYRIZO LENTIL SOUP (print it!)

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 Tbsp olive oil, divided in half
• 6 oz Soyrizo, casing removed
• 1 onion, diced
• 1 bell pepper, diced
• 3 celery stalks, diced
• 2 carrots, diced
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 15 oz fire roasted diced tomatoes with green chilies
• 32 oz vegetable broth
• 12 oz steamed lentils
• 1 cup frozen fire roasted corn
• 1/2 cup cilantro

INSTRUCTIONS:

1.  Spray a large soup pot with nonstick spray, add 1/2 Tbsp olive and heat over medium heat.  Add the Soyrizo, breaking it into pieces and brown for 4-5 minutes.  Remove from pan and set aside.

2.  Add the remaining 1/2 Tbsp olive oil to the same soup pan and add all the vegetables (onion through garlic).  Cook until softened, about 8-10 minutes.  Add the diced tomatoes and broth.  Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for about 10 minutes.

3.  Add the lentils and cook for 5 minutes.  Add the Soyrizo, Corn and continue cooking for 2 minutes.  Remove from heat, stir in cilantro and serve.

Makes 8 heaping 1 cup servings, 1 WWFreestyle Smartpoint, 3 points+ each, SF + 1 WPA for the Soyrizo

Nutritional information per serving calculated at caloriecount.com

STEP – BY – STEP:

Secret Ingredient #1 ~ Trader Joe’s Soy Chorizo.

The best part….you can recognize all the ingredients!

I “fry” the soyrizo in a little olive oil to help season the pan, cook off a little of the moisture and help to make the soyrizo crumbly.

After browning the soyrizo for 4-5 minutes, remove from the pan and set aside.

Chop all your veggies while the soyrizo cooks.  Add 1/2 Tbsp olive oil to the same pan and add the veggies cooking until softened, about 8-10 minutes.

Add the diced tomatoes with green chilies and broth.  Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes.

Secret Ingredient #2 ~ Trader Joe’s Steamed Lentils.  They are already cooked so all you have to do is heat them up for a few minutes and the soup is done.

Add in the corn and soyrizo cooking for an additional minute.

Remove from heat, stir in the cilantro and serve.

You can taste every single thing in this soup ~ the sweet carrots, crunchy peppers and celery, smoky corn, spicy Soyrizo and creamy lentils.  The cilantro brightens the flavor of this hearty soup that will definitely warm you from the inside out on any cold day.

Did I mention that The Chorizo eating Husband loves this ~ He has had 3 big bowls so far and I only made it yesterday.

Lunch today involved a big bowl with a juicy, Asian pear. (SF+1 WPA) – 4 points+

Mid afternoon I was hungry and wanting something sweet, salty and crunchy.  Enter my new fave at the moment ~ Trader Joe’s Honey Roasted Almond Slices.

1 points+ per Tablespoon.

I suppose you are probably supposed to use these as a salad or soup topper….but, they never seem to make it anywhere other than in my little bowl.

I paired 1 Tbsp with a banana for staying power.(SF+1 WPA) – 1 points+

Dinner tonight was as simple as 1,2,3,4….

Toast up an Oroweat Thin Bun, top with 1/4 mashed avocado, sea salt and black pepper.

Add mixed greens…

Plus tomato slices….

Then, finish with 2 slices Trader Joe’s Peppered Turkey Bacon broken in half.

Yes, you can totally have BLTA’s on Simply Filling…just count the points+ for the bacon and avocado. (SF+3 WPA) – 6 points+

I am eyeing the other Asian Pear we bought for dessert.  Off to catch up on my latest Clean Eating and Weight Watcher’s Magazines.

Night all!