The holidays are officially over in the Penner household. We went to Christmas gathering 7/7 today. It’s been a busy couple of weeks. A good kind of busy. My heart has been filled with good memories and my stomach has been filled with delicious decadent food.
But as much as I look forward to Christmas and feel sad when it’s over, I’m also happy to get back into the routine of everyday life. I think it’s a sign that you’ve chosen a good career path when you’re happy to get back to work 🙂 And I’m so excited to see what 2016 will bring for Smart Nutrition! I just launched an ebook: Power Your Day: with a high fibre, high protein breakfast. I‘m a big believe in eating breakfast. It can really set the tone for the day. Start with a sugar-loaded cereal and you’ll be crashing before you even get to work. Start with a protein-packed smoothie and you’ll have the energy you need to last you to lunch time.
I digress. This post is about soup! An incredible vegan soup!
Why It’s A Smart Choice
2016 has been declared by the United Nations as the International Year of Pulses! So it’s only fitting that my very first recipe posted this year features lentils, which belongs to the pulse family.
Pulses are the dried edible seeds of a legume. These include dried beans, dried peas, chickpeas, and lentils. This is only helpful is you actually know what a legume is! A legume is a plant whose seeds are enclosed in a pod. This would include pulses, peanuts, soybeans, as well as fresh peas and fresh beans.
Aside from the obvious nutrition benefits of lentil (high fibre, high protein, good source of several vitamins and minerals) lentils and other pulses are a water efficient source of protein. To produce 1 kilo of lentils, it takes 50 litres of water. Compare this to 1 kilo of beef, which takes 13000 litres of water to produces. That’s 260x more water!
If you give this recipe a go, let me know! Leave a comment, rate it, or snap a photo and tag it with #smartnutritionrecipes on Instagram! I’d love to see your creations! Knowing someone has enjoyed one of my recipes always makes my day brighter.
Cashew Raisin Curried Lentil Soup
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp canola oil
- 1 large onion diced
- 2 large carrots diced
- 2 stalks celery diced
- 5 cloves garlic crushed
- 1 ½ tsp curry powder
- 1 tsp turmeric
- ½ tsp cumin
- ½ tsp smoked paprika
- â…› tsp black pepper
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 lb 454g dry red lentils
- 2 tbsp Vegetable Better Than Bouillon
- 6 cups water
- 1 can 340 ml coconut milk
- 150 g frozen chopped spinach
- 2 tbsp fresh cilantro chopped (for serving)
- 1/2 cup raisins for serving
- 1/2 cup cashews for serving
Instructions
- In a large soup pot, heat the canola oil over medium heat. Add the onion, carrots, and celery and saute until soft.
- Add the garlic, spices, and salt. Saute one minute.
- Add the lentils, bouillon, and water. Heat to boiling then turn down to a simmer. Cook until lentils are soft (about 20 minutes).
- Add in the coconut milk and spinach. Soup is ready when the spinach has completely defrosted.
- Serve with cilantro, raisins, and cashews.
Nutrition
Nutrition info: calories: 295, fat: 12.5g, carbs: 35.5g, fibre: 6g, sugar: 7g, protein: 12.5g
I love lentils! You can find more of my lentil recipes here:
- Mediterranean Lentils and Quinoa
- Lentil Garlic Toast
- Lentil Fakin’ (Bacon) Bits
- Greek Lentil Bacon Soup
- Moroccan Beef and Lentils
- Canadian Prairie Lentil Granola
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I made this last night, very tasty!
Glad to hear you enjoyed it! If you took a photo, Instagram it with #smartnutritionrecipes 🙂