Bone Broth Lentil Soup

One of the problems with soup is that you drink it and still need another meal after.

But with lentils, the story is different. I swear. Lentils are the secret to soup satisfaction.

They’re such a nice texture and flavour to cook with. They’re great if you’re looking for a filling grain packed full of nutrients.

As my dad says, like oatmeal, lentils “stick to your ribs.” Meaning they keep you satisfied and warm for hours after. Best yet, lentils are inexpensive. 

Let’s talk briefly about the health benefits of lentils. 

Lentils have lots of fiber and plant protein. Lentils get 30% of their calories from protein, the 3rd highest of any legume or nut. 

Lentils are also filled with non-heme iron, folate and Vitamin B1. They stabilize your blood sugar because of all the fiber and nutrients. 

The fiber helps to delay gastric emptying in your gut, keeping you fuller, longer and providing a slow stream of energy. No crash later.

Cooking your lentils with bone broth adds more collagen protein. You’ll get 25-30g of protein per bowl of soup! 

However you can also substitute in vegetable or mushroom broth for bone broth to make this recipe vegan.

I’ve added spinach, carrots and garlic for a further nutritional boost to this lentil based soup. I pretty much cook everything with garlic because it’s so darn good for you. 

Here’s a simple yet satisfying lentil soup recipe that you can make in 25 mins. 

This recipe keeps in the fridge for 4-5 days and frozen for 6 months.

Note: You do not need to soak your lentils before eating. It is a good idea to rinse lentils and then they should take about 30 minutes to cook. Red lentils can be used but they are split and tend to disintegrate into your soup.

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp avocado oil
• 1.5 cups green lentils, rinsed & drained
• 3 garlic cloves, minced and divided
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped
• 2 medium carrots, chopped
• 6 cups organic chicken bone broth (or vegetable/mushroom broth)
• 1 tsp cumin, ground
• 1 tsp oregano, dried
• ½  tsp salt
• Ground black pepper, to taste
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 handfuls of spinach
• ⅓  cup parsley, finely chopped
• Nutritional yeast or parmesan cheese, grated (garnish)

Instructions

1. Heat oil in Dutch oven or large pot on medium.
2. Add half the garlic and all of the onion. Sauté for 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally.
3. Add carrots, sauté for a few more minutes, stirring occasionally.
4. Add cumin, oregano and lentils; sauté for another 3-5 minutes.
5. Sitr in bone broth, salt, pepper and bay leaf. 
6. Bring to a boil
7. Reduce heat to low, cover and cook for 30 minutes.
8. Add spinach, remaining garlic, parsley and stir. 
9. Serve in bowls.
10. Garnished with cheese or nutritional yeast, if desired.

Image by Jerzy Górecki