A Meal Modeled on Efficiency

Everyone loves to come home to a good meal after a day’s work. But the meal doesn’t have to be a big deal. A kettle of soup, a snappy salad and a rich homemade dessert does just great.

The following robust trio of foods should satisfy no matter the season. Lentil soup, sustaining and substantial, anchors the menu. This rendition has the charm of an old-fashioned version but with a modern twist: Fresh vegetables are swirled in at the end of cooking for a light finish.

Pair the soup with a salad of sliced mushrooms, green onions, diced bell peppers and shredded cheese. Add a crusty loaf of whole-grain bread picked up from the bakery on the way home and finish everything off with tart and tangy lemon bars.

These recipes can easily be done in advance, even in limited time periods. When your family walks in the door, ready to sit down around the table, all you need to do is reheat the soup, toss the salad vegetables with the dressing and enjoy the meal with your family.

That’s cooking convenience: Good food from your own kitchen that’s easy to get together.

MUSHROOM

DRESSING

1/4 cup minced parsley

2/3 cup safflower oil

3 tablespoons white wine vinegar

1 1/2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

3/4 teaspoon dried tarragon

1/2 teaspoon salt

Freshly ground pepper

Blend parsley, oil, vinegar, mustard, tarragon, salt and pepper in food processor or blender. Can be made 3 days ahead and refrigerated.

SALAD

4 large green onions, including tops, thinly sliced

1 red bell pepper, cut into 1/4-inch dice

1 pound mushrooms, thinly sliced

5 ounces Emmenthaler cheese

Combine onions, pepper, mushrooms and cheese in large mixing bowl. Add dressing. Toss well. Adjust seasoning. Serve immediately.

Makes 6 to 8 servings.

Each serving contains about:

325 calories; 482 mg sodium; 133 mg cholesterol; 31 grams fat; 6 grams carbohydrates; 8 grams protein; 0.69 gram fiber.

LENTIL SOUP

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 teaspoon minced garlic

2 medium leeks, white part only, thinly sliced (about 4 cups)

5 3/4 cups chicken stock or reduced-sodium chicken broth

1 cup water

2/3 cup lentils

1/3 cup tomato paste

1 tablespoon light brown sugar

2 bay leaves

1 1/2 teaspoons dried thyme

3 stalks celery, thinly sliced (about 1 1/2 cups)

3/4 pound smoked sausage, cut into 1/2-inch slices

6 ounces Swiss chard, stems trimmed, leaves cut into 1/4-inch strips

Salt

Freshly ground pepper

Heat oil in 4-quart saucepan. Add garlic and leeks and cook over medium heat until softened, about 4 minutes. Add chicken stock, water, lentils, tomato paste, brown sugar, bay leaves and thyme. Mix until well combined. Bring to boil. Simmer, covered, until lentils are almost tender, about 35 minutes.

Add celery and sausage. Cook until celery is tender, about 10 minutes longer.

Stir chard leaves into soup and remove from heat. Add salt and pepper and adjust seasoning. Soup can be refrigerated up to 4 days or frozen up to 3 months. Gently reheat and adjust seasoning.

Makes 6 servings.

Each serving contains about:

342 calories; 1299 mg sodium; 31 mg cholesterol; 17 grams fat; 30 grams carbohydrates; 19 grams protein; 2.79 grams fiber.

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