Fact: Lentils are one of the most nutritionally perfect foods on earth. Very low fat, nearly perfect carbs to protein ratio, and tons of fiber.
Problem: I hate lentils.
Naturally, as the good little problem solver that I am, I wanted to find a way to eat lentils and actually enjoy it. My general philosophy of problem solving goes something like, “If I can’t do/learn/etc something, it’s just because I haven’t figured out how yet. So…figure it out.”
So here’s my lentil soup recipe–it’s a result of a few different recipes I found and a lot of tinkering and experimentation. This has been my staple food since October 2009. Add hours to your week by cooking for 40 minutes on Sunday and eat it for the whole week.
It’s super cheap (about $10) and will probably feed you for a solid week.
Questions?
Twitter: @NPSchmitt
Email: Nathan [at] brainchocolateblog [dot] com
Ingredients
One bag of green lentils, picked over and rinsed
1 medium-large onion, diced
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes
10 oz frozen spinach, kale, or collard greens (20 oz fresh)
16 oz ham or your favorite pre-cooked meat
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
Salt (pref. kosher)
Habanero powder (optional)
Greek yogurt (optional–stir a dollop into the soup after serving into your bowl)
1 poached egg per bowl of soup (optional)
Your favorite full-bodied red wine (optional but it adds good complexity. I use Malbec.)
2 cups water
Lentils: Rinse, pick over (remove rocks or any other small objects), and boil in water with a couple pinches of salt until reyhdrated–the same consistency you would normally eat beans (20-30 min).
Pour yourself a glass of wine.
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