It’s cold and rainy today in El Paso and this weather is making me crave some comfort food. When I think of comfort food I think of things that I can make in under an hour that fill my heart and soul with yummy goodness. So, today I decided to make lentil soup which is one of my all-time childhood and adulthood classics. Sopa de lentejas or as we say in English, lentil soup. It is a simple heart-healthy, full of vitamins, lentil soup and exactly what I need on a day like today.
This is a very simple recipe with 8 ingredients, nine if you count the water, which incorporates garlic, onion, carrots, tomatoes and a bit of kosher salt and cumin. The lentils, which are a pulse in the legume family, is packed with protein, fiber, folate, potassium, and B6 just to name a few. The carrots give this soup some nice dimension and flavor and adds Vitamins A, C, K, B8, and Iron. Paired with tomatoes adding some lycopene, you know that antioxidant that helps fight cancers. Yup all healthy goodness!
All these vitamins combined along with the onion and garlic give you a complex heart healthy meal packed with nutrients to get you through the day.
You can make this and eat this throughout the week for lunch or before dinner and get a good serving of vitamins. Feel free to reduce the salt, oil, and cumin or add a pinch of cayenne pepper for a metabolism boost.
Buen Provecho!
Lentil Soup
Printable Version
Yield: Serves 4-6 Total Time: 30-45 minutes
Ingredients:
-3 Cups of Organic Lentils
-4 Tomatoes
-5 Large Carrots
-4 Cloves of Garlic
-1 Yellow Onion
-3 Tablespoons of Olive Oil
-2 Tablespoons of Kosher Salt
-1-2 Tablespoons of Ground Cumin
-12 Cups of Water
Equipment Needed:
-Cutting Board
-Knife
-Measuring Cup
-Wooden Spoon/Ladle
-Large Pot
-Serving Dishes/Bowls
-Colander
-Peeler
Prep:
-Get a cutting board and sharp knife
-Finely chop one yellow onion and set aside
-Peel five large carrots and chop off the ends and discard the ends
-Slice the large carrots into 1 inch slices and set aside
-Remove the peel of 4 garlic cloves and finely chop and set aside
-Rinse 4 tomatoes then slice the tomato in half (lengthwise), then rinse the seeds out
in the sink (need to remove all the seeds from the tomatoes)
-After the tomatoes are peeled and seeds have been removed, then finely chop the
tomatoes and set aside
-Rinse the organic lentils under cool water
Directions:
-Get a pot and put it on the stove and turn the gas/electric knob to a medium to high
setting
-Pour 3 tablespoons of olive oil onto the heated pot
-Pour 1 finely chopped onion and 4 finely chopped pieces of garlic onto the pot and
sauté
-After the ingredients are sautéed then add the 4 finely chopped small to medium
sized tomatoes and 5 sliced carrots and sauté
-After the tomatoes and carrots are gently sautéed then pour in 12 cups of water
-Let the water and ingredients gently boil and then pour in 3 cups of organic lentils
-Pour 2 tablespoons of kosher salt and 1-2 tablespoons of ground cumin into the pot
and stir
-Reduce the heat to a low to medium setting and simmer with the lid on for about 25-
30 minutes or until lentils are tender
-Serve in a bowl
*****Feel free to add more of the ingredients and season to suit your taste buds*****