My little buddy woke up sick this morning so we unexpectedly had a free day with no plans, or at least cancelled plans. We snuggled up on the couch to watch a video and the next thing I knew, he was asleep on my lap. After a few more minutes of enjoying snuggling with my normally very active 2 year old, I managed to pry myself out from under him and made a beeline for the kitchen. I’d wanted to make a lentil soup for a few weeks now, but hadn’t had the chance. Not only was I in the mood for lentil soup, I thought it would be a good way to get some veggies into David to help his body fight off this bug. It was a hit! Irving and I both had huge bowls, and David ate a good sized bowl himself considering that he didn’t feel good.
This lentil soup is different than the one I normally make. This one has lots of veggies mixed in, and is served chunky style. I use a mix of both red and brown/green lentils—the red lentils almost dissolve into the soup, while the brown ones hold up to add more texture. The warm flavors of cumin and cinnamon make this perfect for a gloomy day. Best of all, it only took me about 15 minutes to get this all put together, and another 30 for it to simmer on the stove. I’ve got some reserved in the fridge for tomorrow’s lunch, and another jar of it in my freezer for next time Irving is travelling and I need a quick meal for David and I.
Chunky Lentil Soup
1 onion, diced
1 T olive oil
4 medium carrots, peeled and diced
4 celery stalks, diced
2 tomatoes, diced
1 t onion powder
2 t salt
1 t cumin
¼ t cinnamon
¼ t garlic powder
1 T nutritional yeast
1 bay leaf
1 ½ c red lentils
1 c brown/green lentils
6 c water (soup thickens as it sits, add more water to preferred consistency)
½ t balsamic vinegar (or more to taste)
Pour olive oil into a large soup pot and begin to heat over medium heat. Add onions, carrots, and celery and allow to sauté for a few minutes. Add tomatoes and all spices/seasonings and mix well. Add both types of lentils and water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and allow to simmer for about 30 minutes, or until the red lentils have disintegrated and the brown lentils are soft enough to bite. Turn off heat and mix in vinegar. Serve! We had ours with simple toast spread with homemade coconut butter. I’m still working on getting it just right, but will share that recipe with you when it’s ready!
Leave a Reply