Recipe - Lentil-Tortellini Soup

One half cup Dry lentils
2 cup Coarsely shredded carrots
1 lg Onion; finely chopped
Chopped cooked ham or
Canadianstyle bacon
2 Garlic cloves; minced
2 tablespoon Chopped fresh basil
1 One half tablespoon Fresh thyme leaves
One fourth teaspoon Pepper
5 cup Lowsodium chicken broth or
vegetable broth
1 cup Water
9 ounce Tortellini; cheesefilled;
refrigerated
4 cup Fresh spinach leaves; torn

Rinse lentils; drain. Place in a crockery cooker. Add carrots, onion, ham
or bacon, garlic, and pepper. If you are substituting dried herbs for
fresh, add them now. Pour broth and water over all.

Cover and cook as directed for desired heat setting: LOW HEAT: for 6+One half to
7 hours; HIGH: for 3+One fourth to 3+One half hours.

Adding the pasta (If using low heat, reset to high.) Stir in tortellini.
Cover and cook 30 more minutes on high. Stir in fresh spinach, and fresh
herbs if using. Serve at once.

[PER SERVING: 245 cals, 5g fat (16% cff). 4g fiber, 35g carbs, 16g protein.
Sodium can be high from ham or bacon and cheese: from 972mg to 1,023mg. ]
[PER SERVING without ham/bacon: 212 cals, 3g fat, 723mg sodium.]

NOTES : Lentils, Canadian bacon, and cheesefilled tortellini make this
soup a hearty meal in itself. A small salad and fruit are all you will need
to round it out. Accompany with bread sticks or a corn muffin (optional).
Crockpot should hold from 3+One half to 5 quarts. Serves 6. Time: 20 minutes
prep and less than 4 or 8 hours cooking. *Recipe from NEW FLAVORS FROM
YOUR CROCKERY COOKER, Better Homes and Gardens (1998 isbn 0696208555).
Pat Hanneman kitpath@earthlink.net 9/18/98

Recipe by: NEW FLAVORS FROM YOUR CROCKERY COOKER

Posted to KitMailbox Digest by Pat Hanneman kitpath@earthlink.net on Sep
18, 1998, converted by MM_Buster v2.0l.