Hearty, Spicy Best Lentil Soup EVA!

Hearty, smoky and a little sweet! Really delicious and easy to digest red lentil soup!

1 yellow onion - small dice

2 garlic cloves - minced

3 carrots - small dice

3 stalks celery - small dice

1 lemon - squeeze over bowl when served.

1 14oz can diced (or small dice) tomatoes

1 can tomato paste

3 cups red lentils

4 -6 cups veggie broth (pick a really good, organic one - makes a difference!)

2-4 cups water. 

.5 tsp cayenne

1 tsp dried oregano or 2 tsp fresh oregano

1 tsp paprika

2 tsp chili powder

Olive oil, salt + pepper

Fresh herbs - like cilantro or parsley are nice for serving.

Greek yogurt or Almond Greek yogurt (I love Unsweetened Kite Hill) for topping. Optional! the soup definitely doesn't need it, just adds more

Sauteed kale or dark leafy green with garlic makes a nice side or topping. Dark leafy greens are great at every meal.

1. In a large soup pot, heat 2 Tbsp olive oil over medium heat. Add onions, carrots, and celery; cook and stir until onion is tender. Stir in garlic, bay leaf, oregano, cook for 2 minutes.
2. Stir in lentils, stock, half the water, tomatoes, and remaining spices - cayenne, paprika, cumin. Bring to a boil.
3. Reduce heat, and simmer for at least 20 min. Season with salt, pepper and anything else.
4. I like to blend about half of the soup in a blender and then re-combine. It as a smooth, creaminess to the soup. Be careful blending while soup is hot and only fill blender half way as the heat creates pressure!
5. Once in bowls, add any chopped fresh herbs (I love cilantro) and a squeeze of fresh lemon.

Grounding, Soothing Coconut Quinoa Porridge

Enjoy this soothing winter breakfast as an easy, gourmet winter-time meal. Or share with friends and family as part of a beautiful, healthy (and easy!) breakfast or brunch.

The quinoa is rich in protein but also easy to digest, and makes a perfect grounding breakfast.

Option to soak quinoa overnight in water, which will sprout the quinoa, and reduce cook time to just 3-5 minutes the next morning. it’s a little extra work, and definitely not necessary, but it makes the quinoa even easier to digest.

Prep Time: 5 minutes     Cook time: 12 minutes     Total Time: 20 minutes

Serving size 2 - 3 portions.

Ingredients

1 cup white quinoa

1 1/2 cups coconut milk (shelf stable version or refrigerated, both work well) Almond milk + hazelnut milk are delicious alternatives too!

1/2 cup filtered water

1/2 tsp Ground cinnamon

Pinch of salt

Top with: Fresh berries/ bananas/ citrus fruit/ nuts

Optional Additional Ingredients

1 Tbsp maple syrup

Seeds from 1/2 vanilla bean pod. - Adds a really nice sweet + nutty flavor. Vanilla extract does not work here because the alcohol is too rich. You can order vanilla bean pods here on Amazon for a reasonable price (they are twice as much in store usually)

1 cinnamon stick, instead of ground cinnamon  - nice when you are making a big batch, and want a “white” look to breakfast and then just add cinnamon on top. This is really just for presentation purposes :)

 

Simple Recipe

1. Rinse quinoa in a strainer. Run water over quinoa until the water is clear and not cloudy. 
2. In a saucepan over high heat, combine the quinoa, 1 cup of the coconut milk, 1/2 cup water, and half of the vanilla bean seeds, and cinnamon.
3. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low, cover the pan and simmer until most of the liquid is absorbed and the quinoa is tender, about 12 minutes.
4. Remove from the heat. Stir in optional 1 Tbsp maple syrup and the remaining 1/2 cup coconut milk. Or wait to add the coconut milk until you serve into each bowl.
5. Top with fresh berries, banana, nuts or whatever your heart desires!

Fall Ayurvedic Butternut Squash + Kale Soup

about this recipe

Make a lot of this one.. it’s really flavorful and reheats well for leftovers or after freezing.
You might not have fennel seeds + black sesame seeds on hand,
but their worth buying. Once you make this earthy, flavorful + super healthy! topping you’ll use it again and again.

serving size: 6   prep time: 25 min    total time: 30 min

ingredients

• 1 butternut squash, peeled and diced. or buy frozen, chopped squash.
• 3 cloves garlic, peeled and finely chopped
• 1 white onion, peeled and small diced
• 1 -2 heads kale
• a few sprigs of fresh flat-leaf parsley 1/2 lemon
• 2 15oz cans of chickpeas, drained + rinsed 1/4 cup sliced almonds
• 1.5 containers vegetable or chicken stock

spices:

• garam masala
• ground cumin
• red pepper flakes
• 2 tablespoons fennel seed
• 2 tablespoons black sesame seeds

recipe

1. Heat oven at 375.

2. Peel, and small dice butternut squash. (1’2” - 3/4” thick pieces).

3. Chop onion into small dice and slice garlic into thin strips.

4. Sauté onion and garlic in 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium high heat. Add 1/2 teaspoon cumin and 1/2 teaspoon garam masala. Then add butternut squash, Sauté for 5 minutes on high heat.

5. Cover for 5 minutes (also stir a couple times) to create some steam for squash.

6. Add broth and 1/2 more teaspoon cumin, 1/2 teaspoon coriander 1 teaspoon salt + a dash or two of red pepper flakes if you like heat and a dash of cinnamon. Cook on low heat for 20 minutes.

7. Make topping. Over low heat, add 1 teaspoon of olive oil. Add almond slivers, sesame seeds + fennel seeds to pan and stir. Cook over low heat for about 5 minutes until the flavors are aromatic and begin to lightly toast. Nuts and seeds burn fast so you want to keep an eye on them + stir often.

8. Wash, chop + sauté kale with 1 tablespoon olive oil + sliced garlic.

9. Always taste soup before you serve. See if it needs more salt or any further seasoning. I’ve had cases where the squash was not so ripe and I added just a teaspoon of sugar or tomato paste to sweeten it up a little bit. Or it might be just perfect!

10. Serve by adding soup to bowl, topping with kale, then topping, then parsley and a squeeze of fresh lemon.

    If you’re not dairy free, feta or greek yogurt is a nice addition to this soup too! 

nutrition tip

This ayurvedic soup is soothing, comforting and cleansing. It has a lot of fiber from beans + squash, and gently builds heat in the body with salted onion, garlic, and spices. Fennel and parsley are gently cleansing herbs, and fit perfectly with this soothing and cleansing soup. Squash isn't just a comfort food for the senses, it is also an ideal comfort food for weight loss and diabetes. Its mild diuretic qualities drain excess heaviness from the body, helping to flush water retention from the body. And although it tastes sweet, the complex carbohydrates in butternut squash is low-glycemic and will not raise your blood sugar.