It’s February already, which in England means that statistically, it’s raining 60% of the month and the average temperature is a mere 5 degrees. So it’s cold, it’s wet, and the lack of sunshine adds insult to injury! Amidst this gloom, what could be better than a piping hot, hearty home-made soup to defrost your cold body?! This fool-proof recipe is one of my absolute go-to dishes which is both homely and comforting, and delivers all the nutrients your body will need to fight the effects of winter. The lentils are a supreme source of vegetable protein, not to mention that it works out to be a mere 25p per serving, and even if you ‘luxe’ your soup, you’ll struggle to spend more than £1.00 per serving. Click more to discover how quick and easy this classic winters recipe is, and up your soup game today!
Lentils are somewhat of a ‘superfood’, if that’s not too much of an over-used phrase! They’re rich in soluble fibre, so they help to lower cholesterol, which means the arteries aren’t as clogged, and that in turn renders you less likely to suffer heart disease or stroke. They’re low calories (250 calories per 200g cooked cup of lentils), low in saturated fats, and are also low GI & carry a low glycemic load, so they won’t cause blood sugar spikes and troughs, which should keep you feeling fuller for longer. Also, they’re one of the richest vegetable sources of protein, with almost 30% of their caloric content coming from protein. The other main benefit is that it’s pretty hard to cook them wrong, so for unpractised hands in the kitchen, you can’t go too far off course with these!
HOW TO
The soup is enough for a little more than 4 servings and can be frozen.
- Start by grating the carrot.
- Peel, chop and fry the onion (preferably in avocado oil) until soft.
- Add the shredded carrots and finely chopped/ pressed garlic to the onion.
- Rinse and add the lentils. I like to fry the lentils in avocado oil for a few minutes to allow them to roast ever so slightly before adding water.
- Boil the water and add it alongside the vegetable stock. Cook for about 10 minutes or until the lentils are soft.
- Using a hand blender, blend half the soup. I prefer the soup not to be completely smooth, with a little rough texture helping to add to the heartiness of it.
- Serve piping hot, drizzle some fresh lemon on top and sprinkle some sunflower seeds for added crunch & textural variation!
- Bon Appetit!