Lentil & Vegetable Soup

This delicious and light soup has a Mediterranean flavour but with an Ayurvedic twist, bringing the best of both worlds together. This is a very easy meal to put together last minute based on what vegetables you have available and what may need using up. I used puy lentils, but you could also use green or red lentils. The good thing about these kinds of lentils is they don’t need much soaking. I like to use silverbeet or kale for the greens in this soup because of the nice texture they bring. The lemon juice and drizzle of olive oil over the top are essential.

Serves 4

Ingredients

2 tbsp olive oil
1 cup puy, red or green lentils, soaked 2 hours and rinsed
1/2 inch ginger, finely chopped
1 red or brown onion, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp turmeric
1 tsp coriander powder
1 bay leaf
2 stalks celery, diced
1 carrot, diced
seasonal vegetables, such as zucchini, green beans, capsicum and broccoli
1 bunch leafy greens, such as silverbeet or kale, finely sliced
500 ml water approx.
1 handful chopped dill or parsley or both.
2 tsp Himalayan salt and pepper
lemon wedges and a drizzle of olive oil for serving

Method

1. Heat olive oil on medium heat in a medium-sized casserole dish or saucepan

2. Add cumin and saute until they start to pop.

3. Add garlic for 1 minute or until fragrant.

4. Add ginger for 1 minute before adding the onion.

5. Cook onion until soft, then add the spices and bay leaf. Cook gently for 1 min.

6. Add the lentils, carrot and celery and stir quickly before adding enough water to cover.

7. Add the water and cover with a lid and cook for about 20 mins. Add more water if needed. Check that the lentils are cooked through and are soft.

8. Add the other vegetables and cook until just soft, about 5-10 mins.

9. Add the greens and herbs and cover so they are just cooked through.

10. Stir through and serve with the lemon juice and olive oil and some more salt and pepper as desired.