The simplest way to slowly transition into a new lifestyle is to carry out a process of substitution of all the foods that you realize are affecting your health. It is important to make sure that these new foods are loaded with the nutrients that your body needs. One of the foods that I love eating the most, because of how versatile and easy to cook they are, are lentils. They are also very high in protein and fiber. In ½ cup – dry lentils (or 1 cup cooked), there are 26 g of protein and 30 g of fiber! They are also very low in fat!
Today I will show you a quick recipe that will taste delicious and you will be able to pair up with pretty much anything, whether you want to make lentils the main dish in the form of a soup, or more like a side to eat along with a sandwich.
One thing that is very important to do when eating any type of beans or grains is to soak them for at least 8 hours before cooking them. This will activate the nutrients and it will avoid upsetting your stomach due to the proteins not being properly digested by your body. Because I go to work 4-5 days a week, I don’t want to be in the kitchen every single day, therefore I cook a whole pound of lentils at once and that provides lentils for about 6 meals (one person). You can adjust the quantities in the ingredients if you don’t want to cook as much all at once.
- • 2 cups-dry lentils (soaked previously for at least 8 hours)
- • 1 big yellow or white onion, chopped
- • 2 carrots, peeled and chopped
- • 1 stem celery, chopped
- • 4 garlic cloves, minced
- • 4 teaspoons ground cumin
- • 2 teaspoon curry powder
- • 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- • 2 can (28 ounces each) diced tomatoes, drained
- • 8 cups vegetable broth (you can also just use water)
- • 4 cups water
- • 1 ½ teaspoon salt, more to taste
- • Freshly ground black pepper
- • Fresh avocado (optional)
- Make sure you’re using a non-stick pot since we’re not using any oil. Turn on the heat to medium high for a few minutes. Once the bottom of the pot is hot, add the chopped onion, carrots and celery. Cook for about 5 minutes, stirring often, until the onion has softened and is turning translucent.
- Add garlic, thyme, curry powder and cumin. Cook for about 30 seconds. Pour in the drained diced tomatoes and cook for a few more minutes. Make sure you’re stirring often.
- Pour in lentils, vegetable broth and water. Add 1 ½ teaspoon of salt and desired amount of black pepper. Bring the mixture to a boil, then partially cover the pot and reduce heat to maintain a gentle simmer. Cook for 30 minutes, or until the lentils are tender but still hold their shape.
- Transfer 2-3 cups of the soup to a blender. Purée the mix until smooth. Transfer puréed mixture back into the pot. Cook for about 5 more minutes.
- Taste the soup and add any extra spices to taste. If not, it’s ready to serve!
- There’s so many ways you can eat this soup. I would sometimes add avocado to the soup, which makes it taste amazing! You can also purée more of the soup and you can eat it with pita bread as an appetizer.
