Full days and empty meals often go hand in hand. But just because you’re busy doesn’t mean your diet has to be plagued by overly processed, less-than-nourishing food. Ground yourself with this wholesome, elegantly spiced soup, brimming with the nutrition you need to stay centered, positive and healthy–through the winter months, or any time of year.
Gourmet Grounding Lentil Soup
Makes 4 servings
Ingredients
5 Tbsp. extra-virgin coconut oil
1 yellow onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
½” piece ginger, chopped
2 tsp. cumin
1 tsp. dried thyme
1 tsp. sage
1 tsp. oregano
1 tsp. turmeric powder
1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper, or more to taste
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. black pepper
6 cups water
1-1/2 cup lentils
3 stalks celery, cut in 1/4-inch slices
1 carrot, cut in 1/4-inch slices
Juice of one lemon
4 Tbsp. fresh chopped cilantro
Optional: Sliced avocado for garnish
Directions
- In a large pot, heat coconut oil. Add onion and garlic and sauté until golden brown (about 4 minutes).
- Stir in ginger and stir-fry for one minute. Add cumin, thyme, sage, oregano and turmeric powder and sir-fry for an additional minute. Add cayenne pepper, salt,and black pepper and stir-fry an additional minute until spices are fragrant.
- Stir in water, lentils, celery and carrot. Bring soup to a boil over high heat, reduce heat to medium-low, cover and simmer for 30 minutes or until lentils are soft.
- Stir in lemon and cilantro. Serve drizzled with olive oil and sprinkled with additional salt or cayenne pepper to taste.
Tips
- Serve with rice or quinoa.
- For a smoother, less chunky soup, puree mixture in a blender after cooking.
- Some lentils are smaller than others and will require less cooking time.
- Extra soup can be sealed in an airtight container and frozen for later use.
Variations
- For tomato-lentil soup, add two chopped tomatoes and 1 tablespoon of tomato paste when adding the water.
- For curry-lentil soup, add 1-1/2 tablespoons curry powder.