Tasty Tuesday!

This is one of Mom's recent recipe finds. She has a thing for lentils and was looking for some new recipes a few months ago when she found this one. I don't know a lot about lentils since I don't eat them so I had to do a little research to find out what it is about them Mom loves so much.

Lentils are one of nature's greatest food. They are legumes and they grow in pods that contain either one or two lentil seeds. They are classified according to whether they are large or small in size plus their color. You can find lentils in so many colors, they are smaller than the tip of a pencil eraser, and they are sold whole or split into halves. Having originated in central Asia, they are one of the first foods to ever be cultivated. There are even lentil seeds that date back 8,000 years!

Mom had only cooked with brown lentils, which retain their shape after cooking until she found this recipe. The red lentils turn yellow and become soft and mushy after cooking. Though the flavor of each variety varies a little, the overall nutty taste comes through no matter which you cook.

Not only do lentils taste good but they're good for you. Here's what the World's Healthiest Foods website had to say about them:

Lentils are a very good source of cholesterol-lowering fiber. Not only do lentils help lower cholesterol, they are of special benefit in managing blood-sugar disorders since their high fiber content prevents blood sugar levels from rising rapidly after a meal. But this is far from all lentils have to offer. Lentils also provide good to excellent amounts of six important minerals, two B-vitamins, and protein-all with virtually no fat. The calorie cost of all this nutrition? Just 230 calories for a whole cup of cooked lentils. This tiny nutritional giant fills you up--not out.

In addition to fiber, lentils have significant amounts of folate and magnesium, both of which help your cardiovascular system.

I know that you may be thinking - soup now that the weather's warming? Mom's answer to this is a big yes! She eats soups, stews, and chilis year round because they are just that good. This soup is best served hot, but it tastes good at room temperature too.

Egyptian Red Lentil Soup
via RecipeZaar.com
Serves 6 to 8

5 cups vegetable broth or water
1 cup dried red lentils
2 cups chopped onions
2 cups chopped potatoes
8 garlic cloves, peeled and left whole
1 tablespoon canola oil
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
salt and pepper

Add the first 5 ingredients to a large pot; cover and bring to a boil.

Lower the heat and simmer 15-20 minutes or until the lentils and veggies are tender.

Take pot from stove burner and set aside.

In a small saucepan, add the oil; warm over low heat until the oil is hot but not smoking.

Add in the cumin, turmeric, and salt; cook and stir constantly for for 2-3 minutes or until the cumin has released its fragrance (be careful not to scorch the spices).

Set spice mixture aside for 1 minute to cool.

Stir spice mixture into the lentil mixture; add cilantro, stir to combine.

You can puree the soup, in batches, in a blender OR you can use an immersion blender and blend to desired texture (you can leave it a little chunky).

Add in lemon juice; stir to combine

Notes:

Mom uses almost 4 cups vegetable broth and the rest water. She is working on transitioning from store bought broth to homemade but isn't there yet. There are lots of broths you can buy in the store but remember most cans are lined with plastic. Broth also comes in aspectic containers and many curbside recycling programs accept them. It's always best to choose organic whenever possible, but homemade is really the best option.

Mom has not sourced organic red lentils yet. She's made this recipe a few time now and is currently looking for an organic brand, so please leave me a comment if there's a brand of organic lentils you buy. Buying lentils in bulk is preferred but buying a bigger bag over a smaller bag is always a step in the right direction.

We know from consulting the EWG's Shopper Guide to Pesticides that onions have the lowest pesticide load meaning it is okay to buy conventional. By okay I mean relatively free of pesticides but probably GMO. You have to decide which to buy based on the area of greatest concern to you. Mom buys conventional but is researching non-GMO. Those of you who have been following my blog for a long time know that I did a post on the EWG's guide a while ago. If you aren't familiar with the guide, please visit the site and download a quick reference guide. If have an iphone you can download the app.

Mom has used both white potatoes and red potatoes and the soup has turned out fine. Since she's a garlic freak she adds a little more than 8 cloves. Both of these are conventional, but the cilantro she uses is organic.

Lastly, the first time Mom made this she put in the 3 tablespoons of lemon juice but then decided it was too lemony and that she wouldn't put that much in again. The lemon juice is meant to enhance the other flavors but she felt it was overpowering. And she hasn't used salt and pepper because it really doesn't need it. Oh, and an immersion blender is the best kitchen appliance ever.

Making changes to the way you eat is always a work in progress. Taking baby steps is better than jumping in all at once because the way you eat is so much a part of who you are. Changing from conventional produce to organic is not easy but substituting some produce, like the ones from the EWG's dirty dozen for organic is a good place to start. No one is perfect when it comes to choosing which foods to buy, make, and eat. We can all learn from one another and in the end make better food choices for ourselves and for the planet.