Turkish-Style Red Lentil Soup 
Protein, B vitamins, and folate promote your baby’s cell, brain, and nervous system development, and iron boosts your iron stores, while fiber moves things along.
SERVES 6; MAKES ABOUT 7 CUPS
PACKED with nutrition and fiber, this red lentil soup is ideal for lunch or dinner, or as a snack. The orange lentils will lose some of their color during cooking; the finished soup will be a golden yellow color. Add diced tomatoes and cucumbers as a garish, or swirl in some plain Greek yogurt. This soup keeps refrigerated for about one week, and it can be frozen for up to one month.
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium-size onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
3 carrots, peeled and sliced
1½ cups dried red lentils, picked over and rinsed
2 teaspoons dried mint
1 teaspoon ground cumin (optional)
Pinch of paprika or red pepper flakes
7 cups stock (any kind) or water
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• Heat the olive oil in a 6-quart saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the onion and sauté for 3 minutes. Add the garlic, carrots, red lentils, mint, cumin, if using, paprika, and stock and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer, uncovered, for 30 minutes, or until the carrots are soft and the lentils are mushy.
• Remove the soup from the heat and cool slightly. Then, with an immersion blender or regular blender, puree it to a slightly chunky consistency. Thin with water, if needed. Adjust the seasoning and serve.
1 generous cup lentil soup (made with stock): Calories: 341 cals; Protein: 19 g; Carbohydrates: 47 g; Fat: 9 g; Fiber: 7 g; Sodium: 433 mg; B6: 0.5 mg; Niacin: 9 mg; Riboflavin: 0.3 mg; Thiamine: 0.4 mg; Folate: 125 mcg; Copper: 1 mg; Iron: 4 mg; Manganese: 1 mg; Zinc: 3 mg; 3 CARBS