2 med.-sized carrots
2 med.-sized celery stalks
1 med.-sized onion
3/4 lb. sm. red potatoes
1 garlic clove
2 tbsp. olive or salad oil
1 (14 1/2 to 16 oz.) can Italian-style stewed tomatoes
1 c. dry lentils
2 (13 3/4 to 14 1/2 oz.) cans chicken broth
1 sm. head escarole (about 1 lb.)
Breadsticks (optional)

About 1 1/2 hours before serving:

1. Dice carrots, celery and onion; cut potatoes into 1/2 inch pieces; mince garlic. In 5 quart Dutch oven over medium-high heat, in hot olive or salad oil, cook carrots, celery and onion until tender, stirring occasionally. Add garlic and cook, stirring, just until garlic begins to brown.

2. Stir in stewed tomatoes with their liquid, dry lentils, chicken broth, potatoes and 3 cups water; stir with spoon to break up tomatoes. Over high heat, heat to boiling. Reduce heat to low; cover and simmer 50 minutes.

3. While soup is simmering, thinly slice escarole. Just before serving, stir escarole into soup in Dutch oven; cook, stirring occasionally, until escarole wilts. Serve soup with breadsticks if you like. Makes 5 main dish servings. Each serving, about 2 cups.

Each serving without breadsticks: about 315 calories, 7 grams fat, .65 mg. cholesterol, 785 mg. sodium.