The side dishes that show up on the holiday table have started to look the same every year. I’m all for tradition and love a large helping of creamy mashed potatoes, however, how many green bean casseroles do you need to eat before you decide it’s time to broaden your options?

This super healthy, colorful, protein-packed side dish will taste great with turkey, ham, beef or seafood. You may be thinking, “Hold on, spinach and beets aren’t new!”  And you would be right; however, when you pair them with tender lentils, creamy chickpeas, spicy ginger, and curry powder, you get all of those earthy, bright, grassy, warm flavors together in one bite.  So good!

Ingredients:

6 cups vegetable broth
3 cloves garlic, finely minced
2 cups dry lentils
2 cups roasted beets, finely chopped
2 cups canned chickpeas, rinsed and drained
2 cups canned petite diced tomatoes
2 cups fresh baby spinach
1 cup tomato puree
1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons fresh ginger, finely minced
2 tablespoons curry powder
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon ground coriander
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon dry mustard
Juice from one lime

Directions:

1) Heat the olive oil in a large soup pot over medium heat. Add the onions and cook until softened, frequently stirring, about 5 minutes.

2) Add the beets, garlic, ginger, salt, coriander, cumin, curry, and dry mustard and cook for 1 minute until the spices are fragrant.

3) Stir in the broth, lentils, chickpeas, tomatoes and tomato puree, and bring the pot to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer until the lentils are firm but tender about 20 minutes.

4) Add the spinach and the lime juice, and heat through until the spinach has wilted about 2 minutes. Adjust seasonings if needed and serve.