Wellness Recipe: Red Lentil and Rice Soup
Red Lentil and Rice Soup
Lentils are a great legume to prepare. They are high in protein and fiber and cook a lot quicker than other pulses. Lentils are an important source of B vitamins, especially B3, which is essential for both a healthy nervous system and digestive system. They also have healthy amounts of iron, zinc and calcium and are a good replacement for animal protein when combines with whole grains. This soup is very simple to make and makes a nice meal. If you use vegetable broth it qualifies as vegan.
This is the recipe I prepared on my cooking segment on WLEX TV (www.wlextv.com for the video).
Red Lentil and Rice Soup
Serves 4 - 6
Red lentils are smaller than brown lentils and cook more quickly. This mildly spiced curry-flavored soup is brightened with fresh ginger. To add more heat, drizzle a little Asian chili oil in place of the olive oil. I found the lentils locally at Meijer’s but look for them in the international food section of your local supermarket. You can use brown lentils but add about 10 minutes cooking time for them to soften.
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
1 cup chopped onion
2 cloves garlic, chopped
2 medium carrots, chopped
1 tablespoon finely minced gingerroot
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 1/2 cups dried red lentils
2 cups vegetable or chicken broth
1 cup drained and chopped canned tomatoes or chopped fresh cherry tomatoes
1 1/2 cups cooked brown or white rice
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
Heat the oil in a large, heavy saucepan over medium heat. Saute the onion 5 minutes, or until soft. Add the garlic, carrots, ginger, and cumin and saute 2 minutes. Add the lentils, broth, and 5 cups of water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until lentils are just tender, about 20 minutes.
Add the tomatoes and rice, and simmer 5 minutes. Remove about a quarter of the soup (about 2 cups) and puree in a blender. Return to pot and stir. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Drizzle with a little oil before serving.
