Lentil and Tomato Soup with Grilled Cheese 'n' Arugula

Today I had a youngun home sick with a cold, congestion, and fever.  We all know soup is a standard go-to for colds, and this one I found to be particularly well-balanced, healthy, and high in both protein and iron (with a bit of Vitamin C thrown in on the side, just for good measure).  By adding the grilled cheese on the side, I got a nice healthy lunch and a happy sick kid.  Not a bad day!

1 cup brown or puy uncooked lentils, rinsed

7 cups water

1 Tbsp olive oil

2 medium sized onions, chopped

4 cloves garlic, minced

2 cups stewed tomatoes with juice
2 tsp salt

1 tsp cumin

1 tsp ground coriander
1/2 tsp pepper

1/8 tsp cayenne

1/4 cup white rice, uncooked

1/4 cup lemon juice

4 pieces whole wheat bread

12 slices Gruyere or Comte cheese
1 cup arugula (roquette/rocket)

Preheat the oven to 350 F (180 C).  Place lentils and water in a saucepan and bring to a boil.  Cover and cook over med-lo heat for 25 min.

Meanwhile, in a frying pan, heat oil and saute onions and garlic until they turn golden brown.  Stir in tomatoes, salt, cumin, coriander, pepper, cayenne, and rice and saute for another 5 min.

Stir the frying pan contents into the lentils and bring to a boil.  Cover and cook over low heat for 20 min or until rice and lentils are well-cooked (if necessary, add an addition cup of water and 1tsp vegetable bullion to the saucepan).  Stir in lemon juice.

While the soup cooks, toast all 4 pieces of bread in a toaster until warm and just crunchy.  Place two pieces of toast on a baking sheet and top with 3 slices of cheese; top the cheese with half a cup arugula, followed by another 3 slices of cheese.  Place one piece of toast on top of each sandwich and heat in the oven for 10 min.  Cut diagonally and serve with soup.

Makes 8 to 10 servings.

** 115 total calories per serving, 2 grams of fat per serving (soup only)

NOTES:
(a)  Lentils are one of the best vegetable sources of iron.  They also provide a complete protein dish when mixed with rice.
(b)  Arugula (or "rocket," if you're in England, Australia or New Zealand, and "roquette," if you're in France) is a great source of both Vitamin C and potassium.  It has a very strong flavor, so pairing it with a milder cheese like comte or gruyere (which has a nutty taste) -white cheeses; comte is French, gruyere is Swiss - balances the arugula. 
(c)  If I had a toaster oven, that would be a MUCH easier way to make this grilled cheese.  A regular oven will work, though.  The key is to avoid the old frying pan if possible.  I like to toast these sandwiches in the oven for 10 min to get the outside perfectly crisp, then nuke the sandwiches for 20 seconds in the microwave to get the cheese more melted without burning the bread.  This is especially useful with cheeses like comte, gruyere, and beaufort because they melt more slowly.  Microwaves are a beautiful invention.
(d)  If you're cooking this soup as a cold remedy, go light on the cayenne.  Spicy foods can inflame an already irritated throat.  However, if you just want a Middle Eastern-y soup with some kick, feel free to add some diced peppers, crushed red pepper, or an additional 1/4 tsp cayenne!