Lentils are known to be beneficial to our kidneys; They help us feel more energized, improve blood circulation and calm the hurt; they nourish the blood and strengthen the digestive system.
The spices in this soup are anti-inflammatory and support the immune system against unwanted invaders.
Tip: Sprout your lentils first! Place the lentils in a bowl of water for at least six hours before cooking them. This will make cooking time faster and help the body to absorb its protein better, and help digest it more easily. I often sprout my lentils one or two days prior to cooking my lentils for this reason.
Ingredients:
- 2 Cups green lentils
- 2 Cloves of garlic
- 1 Tsp dried thyme
- Parsley- a handful
- Dill- a handful
- 1/2 Tsp Salt
-1/2 Tsp black pepper
- 1 Tsp Coriander
- 1 Tsp Cumin
- 1/2 Tsp Nutmeg
- 1 Tsp Sweet paprika
- 1 Chopped Tomato
- 1/2 Tomato paste
- Portobello mushrooms
- 1/2 Onions white/purple
Preparation:
1. Sauté onion until golden and then add chopped garlic. After a few seconds, you can add the lentils, chopped mushrooms, tomatoes, and tomato paste.
2. Add salt, thyme, black pepper, cumin, coriander, nutmeg, and sweet paprika.
3. Add water to cover the vegetables and bring them to a boil.
4. Lower the heat and cook for about 45 minutes until the lentils are soft.
5. After 45 minutes, add the herbs and a pinch of cinnamon and cook for additional 10 minutes.
From a Chinese medical point of view:
Lentils are legumes and are very abundant in protein, so much so that they can replace animal protein which is great news for vegetarian women out there!
Lentils are beneficial for heart health and kidneys, which means that eating them can aid with bone growth, blood flow, formation, and sleep.
Spices- all of the spices I chose to include in this delicious soup are all anti-inflammatory, which means that they can aid in the formation of cleaner cells that perform better.
Mushrooms are not only anti-inflammatory but also support the immune system by increasing white blood cells.
Tomatoes help build fluids in the body and, therefore, aid with dryness and thirst; they help to clean the blood and therefore help us with detoxifying our cells; they aid with constipation which is good news for all those pregnant women who suffer from it!
Tomatoes help to lower blood pressure which can sometimes occur during pregnancy.
Citations:
Pitchford, P. (2009). Healing with whole foods: Asian traditions and Modern Nutrition. North Atlantic Books.