Every night can’t always be a dinner from scratch night. Don’t get me wrong, there is nothing I love more than creating a comforting dinner from all raw ingredients. But after a long day at work-or even a long week, sometimes you need something easy yet flavorful to throw together.

This is just the ticket. I have grown to love Trader Joe’s for it’s unique, fresh, and non-gmo ingredients. After a little research on the more popular Trader Joe’s products on the internet, I came to recognize the popularity of their roasted red pepper soup. Sounds delicious, right? Imagine throwing in some garlic, jalapenos, and lentils for protein? Yup…you’ll want to make this for dinner this week. Even my meat loving, carnivore boyfriend walked away from the table satisfied.

Ingredients:

• 1 carton of Trader Joe’s Roasted Red Pepper Soup (not more than $3.99)
• 2 scallions, thiny slices
• 1 jalapeno, minced
• 3 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 tbsp. sriracha
• 2 tsp. balsamic
• 1 cup of organic brown lentils
• 2 cups of chicken broth
• 1 bay leaf
• 1/2 tsp paprika
• extra virgin olive oil
• salt & pepper to taste

Directions:

In a heavy bottom pot, heat to medium heat. Add the olive oil and let it heat. Add scallions, garlic, jalepeno, and paprika. Sautee until it begins to become transluscent, about 5 minutes. Add in the sriracha and cook another 2 minutes.

At this point, add the roasted red pepper soup, the broth, balsamic, and a bay leaf. Season with salt and pepper. Bring it to a boil and reduce to a heavy simmer, about a 3-4 on the stove. Add in your lentils and simmer for about 30-35 minutes, or until your lentils are cooked. Enjoy! 🙂

If you try this recipe, please leave a comment on how it turned out. I’d love to hear feedback! 🙂

Buon appetito.