
Photo by iStock
The red lentils in this soup promote heart health and balanced blood sugar.
1 hour DURATION
4-6 servings SERVINGS
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
- 3 shallots, diced
- 4 cloves garlic, chopped
- 3 carrots, diced
- 1⁄2 teaspoon turmeric powder
- 1⁄2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 2 yellow beets, peeled and diced
- 6 cups roasted vegetable broth
- 1-1⁄4 cups red lentils
- 1 teaspoon sea salt, plus more to taste
- 1⁄4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more to taste
- 1 yellow onion, thinly sliced
- 10 cardamom pods, or 1-1⁄2 teaspoons ground cardamom
- 1⁄2 teaspoon ground coriander
Directions
- 1. Heat a medium saucepan over medium-high heat and add 1 tablespoon oil. When hot, add shallots, garlic, carrots, turmeric and cinnamon. Cook until shallots soften and mixture becomes aromatic, 3 to 5 minutes.
2. Add beets and broth, and bring mixture to a boil. Add lentils and reduce heat to simmer. Season with salt and pepper, and continue simmering for 15 to 25
minutes, or until lentils are soft and vegetables are tender.
3. Prepare caramelized onions while soup cooks. If using cardamom pods, crush them (the bottom of a pan works nicely) and remove the seeds. Grind seeds into
a powder with mortar and pestle.
4. Heat a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, add 1 tablespoon oil. When hot, add onion, cardamom and coriander. Keep heat high so onions begin to brown, stirring continuously. If onions start sticking to pan, add a bit of water. Continue cooking for 20 minutes or until onions are caramelized and golden brown. Reduce heat if necessary to prevent burning. Season with a pinch of salt and pepper.
5. To serve, fill bowls with soup and top with a tablespoon of caramelized onions.Read More:
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High-fiber lentils promote heart health, lower cholesterol, provide vegetable protein, stabilize blood sugar, and are rich in iron and B vitamins. The soup will gently warm your stomach and keep you satisfied.