I am a huge fan of cooking on the weekend for the week ahead. It saves time, money, energy and YOUR SANITY!
That said, I know how easy it can be to get into a cooking rut, making the same dish over and over and over; many of my clients struggle with this. Because my mission is to provide nutrition solutions to my client’s nutrition dilemmas, I thought a “Feed Me Friday” theme, featuring a new plant-based recipe each week could help.
I don’t have an actual pic of my dish, simply didn’t get it done, so I’m using “other” photos. I’ll be better in future – promise!
The photo below is one I took while dining at a Persian restaurant in San Diego. My dish is similar in appearance, so this gives you an idea of the finished product.
Here’s my inaugural post, I hope you enjoy the delicious results.
Curry-Kissed Lentil Millet Soup
1 medium onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons turmeric
1 teaspoon garam masala
1 tablespoon curry powder
3 tablespoons black mustard seeds
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 can pumpkin (not pie filling)
1 can tomato paste
8 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
3/4 cup green lentils
1/3 cup millet
1. In a large stock pot, saute onion and garlic in 2 tablespoons water until soft (add more water as needed to prevent sticking).
2. Add turmeric, curry powder, black mustard seeds and kosher salt, mix well with the onion and garlic. Cover the pot; the mustard seeds will begin to pop and jump and you don’t want them to escape. When the popping stops, remove the cover and stir the spices again, adding a bit of water as needed to prevent sticking. Cook the spices and vegetables ~ 5 minutes.
3. Stir pumpkin and tomato paste into the spice/veggie mixture, blend well and cook for 5 minutes.
4. Add broth, lentils and millet, stir to combine. Bring to a boil, then turn heat down so the soup simmers gently. Partially cover the pot and let cook for 30-40 minutes, stirring occasionally until lentils are soft.
NutriTIPS
* Add more water if you like “soupier” soup.
* Find millet in grocery stores sporting a bulk section that includes a variety of grains, dried beans, etc. Whole Foods, of course, but also check co-ops and other nutrition-forward locations. If you can’t find (or don’t want to search for) millet, don’t let it stop you from making this soup; it’s delicious even without it. However, this small yellow grain is a good source of fiber and protein, vitamins and minerals. It also contains the carotenoids lutein and zeaxanthin, beneficial in promoting eye health. Learn about millet.
Raw Millet
* This particular collection of spices is common in Indian cooking. As a whole, this combination adds a rich, satisfying layer of flavor; individually these spices contribute important vitamins, minerals and strong antioxidant properties. About this link: I haven’t used this particular company to purchase spices, but the founder is a fellow Chicagoan (solidarity!). I ran across her work one day and was smitten, partially because I love Indian food, but also because I found her story fascinating! Indian Spice Selection.
Indian Spice Collection