Lentils are among some of the easiest food to cook that can accommodate a variety of ingredients to add various kinds of flavors. Compared to the beans, they’re easier to digest and also come in different colors and forms.
Adding vegetables, herbs and spices could do wonders to transform the taste and you can enjoy this soup warm or with different healthy meals too. Grown among various parts of the world, lentils could be easily available at multiple grocery stores and it doesn’t take too much time to cook either.
The most admirable thing about any lentil recipe is that you can mix any number of items with it to create a personalized meal that will undoubtedly go well with your organized diet. The current recipe will make you particularly enjoy the deliciousness as well as have you feeling satisfied after a serving. You can go vegan on this soup or add chicken to gain some extra protein and it’d still be delicious all the same.
Spanish Lentil soup
Quick tips
- Lentil can be prepared and refrigerated for a longer duration as it doesn’t go bad and this makes it an excellent meal for people in shelter areas or similar conditions.
- You can add roasted chicken too or if you suffer from hypothyroidism then you can also mix spinach and kale.
- Additionally, during reheating the soup, you can add different vegetables for enjoying a newer taste.
Quick Stats
- Prep Time – 20 minutes
- Cooking Time – 25 minutes
- Serving – 4 servings
Ingredients
- Half a kilo of brown lentils
- Four chopped carrots
- Four chopped celery sticks
- Three yellow potatoes (exclude for hypothyroidism diet)
- Bay leaf
- Fresh or Dry thyme
- One yellow onion
- Four tbsp olive oil
- Chopped garlic cloves
- Sea salt
- Lemon juice
- Black pepper
- Chicken stock
- Chopped cilantro
- Chopped parsley
Instructions to prepare:
- Rinse the lentils or soak them overnight to remove additives or impurities and put them in a pot with ten cups of water along with carrots, sweet potato, celery, and bay leaf.
- Let the water boil at medium-high heat and in a while lower the heat to let the pot simmer for nearly an hour.
- On the other hand, sauté the onions using oil in a pan until they’re tender and then add garlic only to again sauté them till they’re brown too.
- Remove the garlic and onion to add them into the simmering soup and also add chicken stock, lemon juice, cumin, and salt until the flavors are mixed well.
- Remove the heat and add cilantro and parsley. Add salt, pepper according to taste and also consider adding cumin for taste.
Nutritional Value
- Calories – 56 k.cal
- Carbohydrates – 8.00 g
- Protein – 3.7 g
- Fat – 1.1 g
- Sodium – 532 mg
- Cholesterol – 3 mg
Must Read – Vegetable Soup Recipes – Best Way to Eat your Vegetables
Final Words:
Since the lentils are known to contain iron, protein, and folate; this makes it a complete meal in itself. If you’re a vegan or prefer a meal in low calories, then you can prepare this Spanish lentil soup to be eaten with rice or other equivalent grains such as quinoa. Eating this meal regularly would improve your hormone balance as well as provide ample protein to keep you healthy for a longer time.
