vegan and gluten-free! Healthy, low-fat, simple, and packed with protein
Red lentil soup
Happy new year! I hope you guys had a wonderful time off. I let myself take a two week break from the blog to fully be present during the holiday season. That being said, I am back! 8 lbs heavier, full of love, and overall ready to start this new chapter. So, welcome to my first Wednesday post of this 2019!
I have been long promising this recipe to a lot of you, and I thought this was the perfect time to finally share it. Snapping back into a healthy routine after the holidays can be quite difficult. Which is exactly why I’m choosing to share one of my most simple recipes.
​
​
I was not familiar with red lentils, I only knew of brown lentils which happen to be a staple food in our Colombian culture. In fact, I ate brown lentils every Monday in the years that I lived in Colombia. About four years ago when I started my health and wellness journey I found red lentils in the bulk section of the supermarket. I had never seen them. Nonetheless, I took them home, and developed one of my favorite and successful recipes. If you haven’t had red lentils before, they behave completely different than brown or green lentils. Once cooked, they lose their shape and become thick almost like a spread or purée.
This soup is hearty, thick and absolutely delicious and while it’s pretty easy to put together, the flavor is anything but simple. A bold flavor soup seasoned with turmeric, ginger, cumin, and a hit of lemon! I crave lots of spice this time of the year, I like to finish this off with a bit of fresh chopped cilantro for an extra bonus kick. Some people had asked me If blend the soup, and the answer is no. I simply let things simmer until the lentils are soft.
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
​
Ingredients:
​
-
1 full cup red lentils (sort and rinse before using)
-
1 teaspoon cumin
-
1 teaspoon turmeric
-
1 teaspoon salt
-
1 teaspoon diced ginger
-
6 cups water
-
1 diced russet potato
To garnish
-
Lemon wedges
-
Fresh chopped cilantro
Instructions
​
-
Add all ingredients in a soup pot minus de water.
-
In very low heat dry-fry ingredients for a minute or two.
-
Add water, stir and bring to a boil, then turn down and let simmer for 20 - 30 minutes, until the red lentils are soft. Taste, and add more salt if desired.
-
Once done add fresh cilantro and give a good stir.
-
Serve hot.