Sunday's Soup/Red Lentil, Tomato and Kale Soup

This past week has been a little difficult as my little dog has been quite ill. She's 15 years old, so time is not on her side. She is doing a little better, we'll see what this week brings.

Whenever my heart is heavy, soup is just about all I want to eat. So soup it is today, and probably for a few days to come.

I didn't intend it to be so, but this soup is perfect for the holiday season with the red and green colors. The best part is that it tastes so good and it's comforting to eat. It also makes up rather quickly as well. It would be great for lunch and will also freeze well. 

Red Lentil, Tomato and Kale Soup

1 large yellow onion chopped
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon minced garlic
2 teaspoons paprika
1/2 teaspoon thyme
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1 cup red lentils
1 large can of chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 large can of fire roasted diced tomatoes
6 cups vegetable broth
4 cups chopped kale
salt and pepper to taste 

Over medium heat, add oil to large soup pot. 
Add onions and saute until browned. 
Add garlic and spices and saute for approximately 2 minutes.
Add broth, lentils, chickpeas, tomatoes, and chopped kale. 
Bring to a boil and then reduce heat and simmer until lentils are tender, about 30 minutes.
Serve and enjoy. 

The soup is hearty, yet light. And even better, it's packed full of nutrients. So serve up a big bowl and enjoy.
Rhonda

Eating For Your Future/Sunday's Soup

After I posted this recipe for Lentil Soup a few weeks ago, I received a message from Debbie of http://lilysageandco.blogspot.com/ As it turns out, Debbie is not only a gifted sewist, she's also a nutritionist. She told me about a soup recipe that she had made with lentils and she shared it with me...and now you :) You can see the original recipe HERE  I made a few changes to the recipe, so I'll post my version below.

Sweet Potato, Carrot and Red Lentil Soup

1 tablespoon of olive oil
1 large onion diced
1 large clove of garlic, chopped
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1 teaspoon garam masala
4 cups vegetable broth
1 cup red lentils
3 cups diced sweet potatoes and carrots
2 tablespoons peanut butter
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
salt and black pepper to taste

1. Heat oil and then saute onions garlic and spices until onions are transparent.
2. Add broth.
3. Add sweet potatoes, carrots, lentils and peanut butter. Cook until vegetables are tender.
4. Once vegetables are tender, puree the soup with a hand held blender.
Debbie recommends serving the soup with a dollop of yogurt and fresh coriander.

I thought the combination of the vegetables and the lentils was absolutely beautiful!
I was not able to get a fresh pumpkin and so I settled for the sweet potatoes and the carrots. And since I am not feeding children, and I love spice, I added the garam masala and the cayenne pepper. I posted a recipe for garma masal HERE.

The soup is quite flavorful and very satisfying. I actually made up a double batch as we are back in sub zero temperatures this week. I am going to want lots of soup!!!

If you enjoy lentil soup, give this one a try as it's a nice change especially with the addition of the peanut butter.
Thanks Debbie!!!

Eating For Your Future/Sunday's Soup

We are so fortunate to have an array ethnic markets in Chicago and believe me, I take advantage of them!! I love the aromas, the energy and the thrill of finding something that is at least,  new to me. One market that I often shop at is a middle eastern market. They bake fresh pitas and other middle eastern flat breads. Their spices are unbelievable, and as I said, I always find something new to me.
One item that I buy quite often is lentils. I especially love red lentils. They are just so pretty!

And they make the loveliest soup. Today's soup is basically off the package. I made a few changes by adding carrots and celery, but that's it. This is a wonderfully easy soup to whip up and it will last throughout the week for lunch. As you can see below, the lentils in their dried form are a golden orange, but when cooked become a golden yellow. Lentils are high in B vitamins, fiber and protein. When you are following a vegan diet, it's very important to be very aware of your protein intake.

Lentil Soup or "Shorabat Addas"

2 cups red lentils
8 cups water
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon turmeric or paprika
1 large onion diced
2 large carrots chopped
2 stalks celery chopped
2 cloves garlic minced
2 Tablespoons olive oil
Juice of 1 lemon
salt and pepper to taste
2 bouillon cubes (optional)

1. Wash lentils. Add to water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover for 1/2 hour, stirring occasionally.
2. When lentils are tender, add spices and optional bouillon cubes. I used vegetable based bouillon.

3. Saute the onion and garlic in olive oil until golden brown. Add chopped carrots and celery and cook until tender. Add to lentils.
4. Simmer for approximately 5 minutes. Add lemon juice and stir.
5. Garnish with parsley, and or paprika. Serve with extra lemon slices on the side.
Yields 6 servings

As you can see, the soup is very easy to prepare. I really like the addition of the vegetables. A red pepper would also make a nice addition and make the soup a little heartier.

My Daniel Diet is going fairly well, but I must confess, I have made a few slip ups. I'll post more on that later this week.

Sunday's Soup

When I went shopping this morning for the ingredients I needed for the soup that I intended to make today, I saw a package of red lentils that looked especially good, so I threw them in my cart. After I got back home, I came across a soup recipe on Pinterest that intrigued me and it just happened to call for red lentils. Serendipity! Well, almost, I had to run back to the store to get a few ingredients. In the end, it was well worth the trip as the soup is absolutely delicious.
The recipe comes from a website called www.atouchofzest.com. It's all about healthy eating made easy. Based on this soup recipe, this is a website that you should bookmark and come back to. I know I will! I made no changes to the recipe. It may seem like there's a lot of cumin and coriander, but trust me, it's the perfect amount! If you enjoy Indian food, even just a little, I think you'll really enjoy this soup. You can find the recipe here,  http://atouchofzest.com/red-lentil-coconut-soup/ When you go to the website, you'll find a print version that will be easy to print off and save.
Enjoy!

Red Lentil and Coconut Soup

Ingredients;
2 cups of red lentils, rinsed until water runs clear

1 white onion, diced

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 carrots, peeled and chopped

1 chilli, finely chopped

1 tablespoon fresh ginger, minced

1 400g can diced tomatoes

3 tablespoons cumin

2 tablespoons coriander

1 tablespoon paprika

¼ cup tomato paste

½ cup coconut milk

8 cups vegetable stock

 

Directions;

 

1. Add onion, garlic, ginger, chilli and carrot to a large pot with a little oil and fry for around 10 minutes
2. Add cumin, coriander and paprika and mix well to combine
3. Add stock and lentils to the pot and bring to boil. Simmer for approximately 10 minutes
4. Add the coconut milk, tomato paste and diced tomatoes and simmer for a further 20 minutes

 

My chives have started coming up, so I sprinkled a few on my soup to serve. Fresh cilantro would also be a nice garnish.

Hope you are having a lovely and peaceful Sunday!

Rhonda