In Genesis 25:29-34, Jacob is cooking red lentil stew, and
his brother Esau comes in exhausted and wants some. Esau wants it so badly that Jacob is able to
finagle trading a bowl of it for Esau’s birthright.
So what does this tell us? Real men eat lentils. Yep. Lentil
soup is a meal made for a man—and with potential bargaining power, too.
Several years ago, my husband Alan and I started the slow
process of changing the way we eat (we still have a long way to go.) Since
organic food is pricey, we cut out most meat to better afford it. (Alan calls
us “budgetarians” rather than “vegetarians.”)
Now that we’re learning how corrupted our meat sources are
and how our bodies run cleaner with less of it anyway, I’m even more in love
with lentils. Pair them with some brown rice, and you have an easy protein.
These are two of our favorite lentil recipes (kids, too!) They call for
RED lentils--like Jacob’s stew (called “Red Pottage” or “Red Stew” depending on
your Bible's translation.) They are smaller, take less time to cook, and tend to
dissolve somewhat, which naturally thickens the soup (this is also good if you
are still getting used to the texture of legumes.)
You’ll make a small investment in spices up front, but you’ll find that many very healthy, flavorful, ethnic recipes include these spices, and cooking these dishes can add a lot of delicious variety to your menu.
RED LENTIL COCONUT CURRY
This recipe
is our #1 favorite. It’s thick and hearty and utilizes two vegetables I can still get at this time of year at the farmers'
market—cabbage and cauliflower (both of which come in purple--purple cauliflower?!?
Yep! With all the antioxidant benefits of other purple & blue fruits &
veggies.) It’s from one of my favorite cookbooks, “Simply In Season,”
which organizes recipes by what
vegetables and fruits are available in each season. Pretty cool.
Start some brown rice cooking on the
stovetop (or in the oven if you only have two burners or two pots to work with). The soup won't take too much longer than the rice.
1 large onion, chopped
In large
soup pot, sauté in 1T olive oil over med/high heat until transparent but not
browned
1 T garlic (minced)
1 T ginger root (peeled, minced…or I’ve
substituted ½ tsp. ginger powder)
2 tsp. curry powder
½ tsp. EACH ground turmeric, cumin, pepper
¼ tsp. ground cinnamon
Add &
reduce heat to med/low. Cook & stir constantly for 3 min. do not let spices
& onion brown
1 can coconut milk
¼ cup tamari or soy sauce (a HUGE rabbit
trail could be taken here about MSG & soy sauce, but I admit I use soy sauce in
this recipe)
1 cup tomato sauce (I’ve often
substituted a can of chopped tomatoes here w/great results)
2-3 bay leaves
Add &
simmer on low for 20 minutes, stirring often.
2 cups dried red lentils
5 cups water
In a separate saucepan,
cook for 15 minutes while the rest of the soup is simmering in the soup pot.
Add to the soup pot at the end of the 15/20 min.
1 med. Head cauliflower cut into 1-in.
florets
1 large sweet potato (I’ve used white
potatoes, too)
¼ head cabbage (cut in 1 in. chunks)
Add to soup
pot & cook over med heat until veggies are just tender. Salt to taste. Serve over brown
rice. Some people enjoy adding toppings such as Indian chutneys & pickles,
fresh diced pears, roasted sunflower seeds, or plain yogurt (I admit I’ve never
tried any of those—but they sound very interesting!)
RED LENTIL DAL ("Dal" refers to soups from India)
Our #2 favorite takes slightly less time
to whip up, and I tend to have these ingredients on hand.
Again, start your brown rice on the
stovetop first (or in the oven). This soup will be ready in under an hour!
1 onion
2 cups red lentils
5-6 cups water
Put in a pot
together, bring to a boil, then simmer 15 min. partially covered
1 tomato, chopped (I’ve used a can of
chopped tomatoes instead)
4 carrots, chopped
4 med. potatoes, chopped
1 can coconut milk
Add to the
soup pot & simmer 15 minutes more.
While your
soup is simmering, saute in a saucepan:
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp. turmeric powder
1 tsp. dry mustard
½ tsp. red pepper flakes (I often omit
these for my kids’ sakes)
2 tsp. cumin
3 T olive oil
Saute for 3
minutes or so, add to the soup at any point (swish some soup around in the sauté
pan to get every last bit of spice out of it and into the soup!), and add salt
to taste.
Enjoy!
