GREEN LENTIL SOUP

Oct 5

Once the warm summer days are over and cooler temperatures announce the coming winter, soups are the perfect food to help with the transition. When cooked, vegetables provide plenty of nutrients that are more easily digested and absorbed into the body. This is a natural boost for the immune system in a time when the body is most vulnerable due to the transition to more indoor time, less sunlight, and greater exposure to seasonal infections.
Once you have mastered the intro stages of the diet and symptoms start to subside, lentils are a great addition to your food list.They are rich in potassium, manganese, folic acid, and antioxidants combined with carrots, celery and onion the perfect combination for a fall or winter soup. Make sure to soak the lentils over-night to deactivate enzyme inhibitors that can cause digestive problems. Once drained and rinsed, the actual cooking time is only 30 minutes, which makes for a quick and healthy meal.
The whole family greatly enjoys this comforting lentil soup and I always make a larger batch to have plenty of leftovers. The kids love taking the soup to school for lunches and sometimes I bring it along on winter hiking and skiing trips. The soup itself is vegan, but if you’re like us and want to add some extra protein, you can throw in your favorite ham sausages by simply putting them into the hot soup and letting them heat up for about 10 minutes.

note: Make sure to soak the lentils overnight in a large bowl submerged in plenty of water (about 12 hours). This procedure will deactivate the enzyme inhibitors that can cause digestive problems. Drain and rinse them well before cooking.

SERVES 4
INGREDIENTS
4 pieces of sugar-free bacon (omit if you want a vegan soup)
or 1 tbsp ghee
1 medium onion, minced
2 celery sticks cut into small pieces
1 leek, sliced
1 quart vegetable broth (I use Pacific Foods Organic Low Sodium Vegetable Broth)
1 1/2 cups presoaked green lentils
1 garlic clove, minced
1 carrot, cut into small pieces
1 bay leaf
1 tsp sea salt
1/4 cup parsley, minced
1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
season with sea salt, pepper, and a pinch of cayenne

optional:
Smoked chorizo sausage (I use Wellshire All Natural Smoked Chorizo)

INSTRUCTIONS
Add bacon or ghee, onion, celery sticks, and leeks to a large cooking pot and fry at medium heat until onions turn translucent.

Add the vegetable broth, lentils, garlic, carrot, bay leaf, and salt to the pot and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook for 30 minutes until lentils and carrots are soft.

Slice the smoked chorizo sausage and add to the soup. Allow the sausage heat up for about 10 minutes.

Add vinegar, sea salt, pepper, and cayenne pepper to the soup and sprinkle with parsley.

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