Lentil and Spinach SoupLentil and Spinach Soup
If you are thinking of a recipe to serve on your first date, this is definitely not it! Lets just say that you will come under some "pressure" ha ha. Seriously though this is a very nice lentil soup but if you are not used to eating lentils and spinach your stomach might protest a bit afterwards and what will follow is not so pleasant to experience...at least not on a first date! The trick is to ease into eating lentils and spinach. Have some cooked spinach with your meal a few times and you will be fine. The spinach is such a wonderful plant, packed with iron and antioxidants. Red lentils are also very healthy, packed with folate (very good for pregnant women, especially within the first trimester). Lentils are also full of fibre, protein and vitamin B. Lentils are known to lower the bad cholesterol and contain lots of magnesium which is important for our heart. To top this, the soup is very cheap and light yet filling. Just consume it in an well ventilated room!
You will need a food processor or a blender/hand blender to make this recipe.
E-mail recipe
Print recipe
Add to Favourite Recipes
Not the ideal soup for your first date but still very nice!!
0 commentsThis recipe is:
- Egg free
- Gluten free
- Lactose (dairy) free
- Nut free
- Vegan
Lentil and Spinach Soup
Ingredients
- 1 large onion, chopped coarsely
- 1 clove garlic, chopped coarsely
- 125 grams (4 oz) fresh leaf spinach, washed
- 1 teaspoon coconut oil
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon ground turmeric
- ½ teaspoon ground coriander
- 300 grams (11 oz) split lentils (red)
- 1.1 litres (37½ fluid oz) water
- 3 yeast free vegetable stock cubes
- 50 millilitres (1½ fluid oz) water
Preparation
- Chop the onion and garlic clove coarsely.
- Wash the spinach. Set a side.
- Heat 1 teaspoon coconut oil in the saucepan.
- Fry the onion and garlic for 5 minutes or until very fragrant. Add few tablespoons of water if necessary. Stir often with the large wooden spoon.
- Add 1 teaspoon ground cumin, ½ teaspoon ground turmeric and ½ teaspoon ground coriander. Heat for 2 minutes.
- Add 350 grams lentils, the 1.1 litres water and 3 vegetable stock cubes.
- Stir for 2 minutes.
- Allow to simmer for 30 minutes (with the lid off) or until the lentils have softened.
- Allow the soup to cool down for 15 minutes.
- Meanwhile, prepare a small frying pan. Add the 125 grams spinach leaves along with 50 millilitres of water, cover the saucepan with a lid and leave the leaves to collapse in the heat of the pan. This should take around 5 minutes. Set the spinach aside.
- Now pour the soup in batches into a blender or a food processor.
- Blend each batch for 7-10 seconds or as desired. For a coarser texture blend only for 3 seconds.
- Pour the blended soup back into the saucepan.
- Add the spinach.
- Re-heat the soup gently just up to simmering point.
Tips
- Serve with nice bread.
- The soup is even better the next day once the flavours have really settled. Pour the soup into plastic containers and re-heat the next day.
- For a thinner soup add more water.
- If the coconut oil is cold (in which case it becomes solid), place the jar in a bowl filled with hot water for a couple of minutes.
- You can use regular stock cubes instead of yeast free ones.
- You can use chicken stock instead of vegetable stock.
- The soup can be frozen and reheated later.
- For a coarser soup with lumps and bumps blend for only 3 seconds.
