Red Lentil Soup - Quick, spicy, and filling!

Lentils and other legumes are nutritional powerhouses!  They are high in fiber and low in calories, plus they fill you up and taste oh so good :)  When you combine them with rice, they also give you a complete amino acid profile i.e. they help you get a complete protein.  While I love meat, I like to remind people that you can get all your nutrition that you need from vegetables.  Just be sure to pick up some B-12 supplements, not a bad idea for veggies and meat eaters alike!

A pile of red lentils. 

This recipe calls for red lentils, which are a smaller version of your standard brown lentil.  The advantages are are a slightly different nutritional profile, a beautiful color - and cooking time.  Red lentils cook very quickly and do not need to be soaked like other lentils.  You can just chuck em in the pot and cook as is :)

It should take about 20 minutes to prepare this soup and about 35-40 minutes to cook it.  After you know how to make it, you can probably do the whole shebang in about 50 minutes.

For the yogurt you dollop on at the end, I recommend FAGE Greek yogurt.  This, IMHO, is the superior brand of supermarket-available Greek yogurt.  You can usually get a nice tub of it on sale for between $1 and $1.75.

FAGE yogurt is the best Greek
Yogurt, if I do say so myself!

Ingredients:

2 TBSP Extra virgin olive oil.
1 Medium sized onion, chopped fine.
1 TSP each ground cumin and ground coriander.
1/4 TSP of ground allspice.
2 Medium garlic gloves, minced.
1 LB package of red lentils
6 Cups of stock - vegetable works well, but you can also use chicken or beef.
1 Package of thick Greek yogurt.

Directions:


1) Heat the oil in the pan over medium-high heat.  Once hot, add in the onions, and cook until soft and translucent, about 5 minutes.

2) Add the cumin, coriander, allspice, and garlic, and cook for one minute more, until everything is fragrant.

Fresh Cilantro.  Aromatic and delicious!

3) Add the lentils, stir until coated well, then add in the stock.  Bring to a boil, reduce heat then simmer for 30 minutes, covered loosely, stirring every few minutes to make sure things don't get stuck to the bottom of the pot.

4) Decant the soup into bowls, and drop a dollop of the yogurt in the middle of each bowl.

Enjoy!  This soup is delicious, takes minimal effort, and is full of healthy nutrients and fiber :)