Warm soup for a cool fall day

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My favorite thing to do on a cold evening is snuggle on the couch in a warm blanket with a fire in the fireplace. Oh yea. I don't have a fireplace. My second favorite thing to do is snuggle on the couch in a warm blanket with a hearty bowl of soup. Besides being super easy and really filling, this soup is also ridiculously cheap. Adjust the seasoning to your tastes but start light. You can always add more curry and pepper but  simmer the soup a little to develop the flavors before you get too heavy handed. The splash of lime juice just before serving is key. If you have any other veggies in the fridge that need to be eaten, throw them in. I've been known to add broccoli, sweet potatoes, tomatoes, zucchini, and a multitude of others and it always tastes awesome. It is a very inclusive sort of soup. If a soup can be inclusive.


Coconut Lentil Soup



What you need:

1 cup red lentils
1/2 pepper, any color, chopped
1 onion, chopped
1/2 cup carrots, chopped or shredded
1 cup spinach, chopped
2 tsp olive oil
2 tsp minced ginger
2 tsp minced garlic, more if you like
1-2 tsp curry powder
1/3 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp salt
pepper to taste
1 can crushed tomatoes
3/4 cup lite coconut milk
1 can garbanzo beans, drained
1 Tbsp lime juice
fresh chopped cilantro
cooked shredded chicken, optional


What you do:

Heat olive oil in a large heavy pot or dutch oven. Add onion, peppers, carrots, and spinach and cook 3-5 minutes until they soften and start to brown a little. Stir in ginger, garlic, curry, cinnamon, salt and pepper and cook until fragrant. Add garbanzo beans, coconut milk, tomatoes, lentils and enough water (at least 4-5 cups) to cover. Simmer uncovered for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. You can add more water for a thinner soup or let it thicken for a stew-like consistency. Just before serving, stir in lime juice and cilantro. My honey likes the extra protein of some cooked chicken stirred in though it is very yummy and satisfying without. Makes around 8-10 one cup servings.

Nutritional info: 1 cup about 160 calories, 9 g pro, 23 g carbs, 3 g fat, 9 g fiber