Red Lentil Soup with Fresh Cilantro and Lemon

I’ve always loved lentil soup; it’s creamy, filling and absolutely delish in my opinion! Lentils are a good source of protein, iron, dietary fiber, vitamin B1, folate and essential minerals (“Lentil: An Ancient Crop for Modern Times.” Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia). Soups are a big part of the Eat to Live diet created by Dr. Joel Fuhrman and I base the way I cook my food on his style of eating. I have been enjoying cooking my food with the limited use of salts and extra added fats. I have learned to season my food naturally. You will be surprised how unappetizing food that is heavily salted and drench in butter/oil begins to taste. Just forgot about what you have learned about cooking and at least attempt this style of eating. You will be amazed at how wonderful you will feel. So why not start reaping all the health benefits a nutrient-rich, plant-based diet can give you and your family?!?! Go for it!

This recipe is inspired by the Eat to Live style of cooking. Pretty much all the recipes you will find here are. I use two products to come up with a great tasting way to make a soup base and then I throw in the ingredients I want to cook, season it and garnish it with fresh herbs. The fresh herbs always make a big difference in taste to me. I always keep fresh herbs in the fridge and use them all week in everything I cook. Oh, and I love fresh lemon squeezed on this soup right before serving. The lemon really compliments the coriander. I’m also really into cilantro lately and it tastes great in this soup too. The whole family enjoyed this one. YUMMY!

Red Lentil Soup with Fresh Cilantro and Lemon

Yield: 4-6 servings

Ingredients:

6 cups no salt added or low-sodium vegetable broth (or 3-4 Tablespoons Dr. Fuhrman VegiZest mixed w/ water)

1 1/2 cups finely chopped onion (1 large onion)

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 1/2-2 cups chopped carrots, halved lengthwise and sliced crosswise

1 1/2 cups red lentils, rinsed and drained

1 teaspoon ground coriander

1 teaspoon paprika

Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Fresh cilantro, chopped

Fresh lemon juice

Directions:

In a medium saucepan, add 6 cups of water, stir in VegiZest and Swiss Bouillon or add vegetable stock if using that instead.

Add chopped onion, garlic, coriander, paprika and fresh ground pepper. Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally to break up any chunky seasonings. Boil gently uncovered for five minutes.

Add red lentils, reduce to simmer and cook uncovered for 15 minutes. Add chopped carrot, cover and cook for an additional 15 minutes until lentils are thoroughly cooked and soup is thickened. Stir often to prevent sticking to the bottom of your pan.

Garnish with fresh chopped cilantro and fresh lemon.

Enjoy! YUM!

Reference list

S S Yadav et al. Lentil: An Ancient Crop for Modern Times. (2007) In Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia. Wikimedia Foundation Inc. Encyclopedia on-line. Available from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lentil. Internet. Retrieved 16 January 2011.