Easy Vegan Lentil Soup for Optimal Nutrition

Let’s learn how to cook and extra healthy and easy lentil soup!

• Loaded with fiber, provided by the lentils and veggies
• Loaded with complete protein, thanks to the legume and grain combination
• Abundant in vitamins, like the vitamin C in peppers and carotenoids in carrots (although the heat will limit what’s available in the final dish)
• Rich in antioxidants, like the lutein from the tomato and the curcumin in turmeric
• Spinach add a good dose of calcium, and cooking them helps reduce its bioavailability by reducing the oxalate content.
• No added fat or oil. And it is yummy and filling regardless.
• Easy and fast to cook.

Even if technically it is not necessary, I always advice to soak your lentils. This reduces the “anti-nutrient” content (phytates), helping with digestion and increasing nutrient absorption. It also shortens the cooking time, although lentils cook fast anyway.

I like to add lime juice to my Indian-inspired lentil and chickpea dishes, first because it complements very well the flavors of ginger and turmeric, which are common in Indian stews, but also because the extra vitamin C helps with non-heme iron absorption. Non-heme iron is the type of iron that we find in vegetable foods, like lentils. If you don’t have lime, you can use lemon juice too (but less amount).

I am including a spice call asafoetida, totally optional. You can find it online and I guess also in Indian grocery stores (haven’t checked myself). Its flavor profile if very similar to onion, with the benefit of being low FODMAP. So if you have issues with FODMAPs, try replacing onion and even garlic by a dash of asafoetida. Start with a small amount to see if you like the taste, which you probably will if you like onion. Also, check labels, because some brands include wheat to prevent caking. If you are super-sensitive to gluten, you might want to choose a brand that uses a different anti-caking agent. The brand I linked does have wheat. I included it because it is the one I use.

Ready?

Ingredients

Servers 6

• 1 yellow onion, diced
• 2 large carrots, diced
• 1 green pepper, diced
• 2 garlic cloves, grated
• 5 inch ginger root, grated
• 1/2 tsp asafoetida (optional)
• 1 tsp curry
• 1 tsp turmeric
• 1 tsp ground coriander
• 1/4 tsp ground black pepper
• 1 oz can diced tomatoes
• 2 tbs tomato paste
• 1 cup green lentils
• 4 cups of vegetable broth (or water with bouillon)
• 5 handfuls of spinach
• Juice of 1 small to medium lime (or quarter to half lemon)
• Salt
• Brown rice or other grain, to serve

Instructions

• Soak the lentils overnight, changing the water 2-3 times. When ready to cook, drain and discard the water.
• In a non-stick pan on medium-high heat, cook the onion, pepper and carrots carrots with a pinch of salt until they soften, stirring frequently. Add a little bit of water if it starts sticking or browning too fast.
• Add the garlic, ginger, asafoetida (if using), curry, turmeric, coriander and saute for about 2 minutes, until fragrant.
• Add tomatoes with its liquids and the tomato paste to the pan. Bring to boil
• Incorporate the lentils and as much both the cover the lentils and about 1 inch more. Simmer for about 25 minutes. Add the spinach and cook for about 5 more minutes, until lentils are soft and the soup has thickened.
• Remove from the heat and add the lime juice. Stir. Adjust seasoning.
• Serve with rice, or any other grain.