Cozy Up Red Lentil Soup

For a simple, nourishing, one-pot meal.

Who’s in the mood for soup?! This red lentil soup is a one of my favourites. When I want to feel confident that I’m giving my kiddo a solid dose of nutrition, or when I want to have a one-pot meal on the table in 30 minutes, I make this Red Lentil Soup.

Why you should include red lentils in your diet if you don’t already

Red lentils are high in:

• Protein
• Fiber
• Iron
• Folate
• Phosphorus
• Potassium

They’re crazy cheap, don’t require soaking, cook completely in about 20 minutes, and have a very mild flavour. In fact, red lentils almost disappear into the background of whatever you’re cooking. This makes them an easy and practical way to add a dose of nutrition to just about any soup or tomato sauce, without having a major impact on flavour.

Don’t skip the garnishes!

This soup is cozy and delicious on it’s own, but garnishing it with fresh chopped parsley, toasted pumpkin seeds and fresh lime juice take it to the next level.

Why parsley? Firstly, because it delivers a bright and fresh taste that balances the earthiness of this soup. Secondly, because (as I’ve mentioned before) parsley is an under-appreciated super food. You’re going to majorly boost the anti-oxidant and nutrient power of this soup by sprinkling some freshly chopped parsley on top. Thirdly, presentation people! These garnishes are going to make your soup look beautiful, and I promise that makes it taste better 🙂

Next up: toasted pumpkin seeds. Why? For starters, they’re going to add crunch, which is going to make the soup more interesting and fun to eat. Secondly, they’re delivering a healthy dose of zinc, which can sometimes be limited on a plant-based diet. Toasting the pumpkin seeds not only makes them tastier (IMHO) but it actually helps boost the bioavailability of the zinc they contain, which is great news! Remember: It’s not just about the nutrients we EAT, it’s about the nutrients we ABSORB. So do yourself a favour and buy some raw, unsalted pumpkin seeds and toast them up at home. I’ll tell you how to do it below.

Finally, fresh lime. You are going to feel like such a star chef when you plate up this soup with the aforementioned garnishes and then give it a big squeeze of lime. Trust me. You’re adding layer after layer of flavour, and you’re going to love it. Also, by adding vitamin C rich foods to this iron-rich meal, you’re boosting your absorption of the iron contained therein. Granted, you probably already have this base covered with the other ingredients in this soup, but I just wanted to mention this factor as a friendly reminder to look after your iron needs!

Now on with the Red Lentil Soup Recipe

INGREDIENTS

• 1 medium onion, any colour – diced
• 3 medium to large carrots – diced
• 2 stalks of celery (optional) – diced
• 2 cups of potatoes, any variety (including sweet potato!) scrubbed and diced
• 4-5 cloves of garlic – peeled and roughly chopped
• 1 cup of cauliflower (optional) finely chopped
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp turmeric
• 2 bay leaves
• Fresh cracked pepper to taste
• 2 cans (796 ml each) of Italian whole tomatoes, OR diced tomatoes, or one of each
• 2 cups red lentils – rinsed
• 5 cups veggie broth
• 2-3 cups fresh, baby spinach
• 1 cup raw, unsalted pumpkin seeds
• 1 small bunch fresh parsley
• 2-3 limes

METHOD

1. Start by washing and dicing the onion, carrots and celery (if using)
2. Heat a large soup pot over medium high heat. Now sweat the onion, carrots and celery with a big pinch of salt until they soften and start to release their juices, about 7 minutes. You can use a tablespoon of olive oil to do this, or you can skip the oil and use a splash of veggie broth to water sauté.
3. While the veggies are sweating, chop the garlic, potatoes and cauliflower if using.
4. Now add the garlic, potatoes, cauliflower, cumin, turmeric, bay leaves and salt. Stir well and continue cooking for about 2 minutes. We want to toast the spices and coat everything well.
5. Now add the two cans of tomatos, lentils and veggie broth. Stir well. Bring everything up to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer until the lentils and potatoes are tender. About 20 minutes.

While the soup is cooking, prepare the garnishes

1. First, wash and finely chop the parsley. For a video on how to do this, go here!
2. Next, heat a dry skillet over medium-high heat. Once the pan is hot, toss in the 1 cup of pumpkin seeds. Now stay with the pan, and shake and flip the seeds as they heat up. Some of them will begin to brown and pop. Keep shaking the pan, and flipping them around to toast them evenly. This will only take a few minutes. Once they’ve reached desired toastiness, remove from the pan and set aside. If you leave them in a hot pan, they’ll continue to toast! So either account for this and stop toasting early, or play it safe and remove them from the pan. You’ll be bummed if you burn them, so now is not the time to multi-task!
3. Cut the limes into wedges

Finishing and serving the soup

1. Once the lentils and potatoes are tender, stir in the fresh, baby spinach. It’s up to you if you’d like to chop it or not. Crack in a good amount of fresh, cracked pepper. Taste the soup and adjust seasoning if necessary. If ever it gets too thick, thin it out with a bit more broth or water.
2. Ladle into bowls then top with a generous amount of parsley, pumpkin seeds, and squeeze of lime. Serve with your favourite crusty bread.

That’s it! I hope you love this soup as much as I do, and that it nourishes you and your loved ones. Be well, everybody, and please drop a comment below if you try this soup!