Zesty & Fragrant Red Lentil Soup - Plantbased

It was a wet and cold, melancholic Sunday when I made this zesty and fragrant lentil soup, in between packing up house.
Feels like my life is being packed away in boxes, while my home is getting emptier, and winter has been much colder this year. They say losing someone gets easier with time. The reality is that time only takes away the sharp edge; the grief never fades.

I've been unearthing precious memories, from when I was his 'girlfriend' and from the time before. I won't talk about the fat file I found about the investigation into my late uncle's murder. Awful, awful word, isn't it!

I want to remember the happy times and new beginnings. I found my mother's birth certificate, tiny old family photos, and telegrams of congratulations when we got married. Does anyone remember telegrams, or was it before your time? Many, many sentimental special occasion cards that I tried to toss, but most went back into my pile of things to sort out once I'm in my new home.

Mom's old recipe book that's seen many baking sessions. The pages have been blemished by dustings of flour, smudges of butter, and vanilla essence, pages that are almost falling apart; I could not throw that out! Same with the Flop-Proof Baking Recipe Book given to me at my 'kitchen-tea' - that's what bridal showers were called back then!

While I've been emptying cupboards, my pots and pans, all my cooking and baking implements are staying put. I won't stop playing in my kitchen till the furniture removals come to pack the van! So, those two recipe books went back into the drawer.

Today, I'm not baking, though. I've been wanting to make this soup after a friend shared it a couple of weeks ago. I tweaked it a bit, and it was absolutely delish!

Zesty & Fragrant Red Lentil Soup

Ingredients:

• 15ml Coconut Oil
• 1 medium Onion, chopped
• 2 Carrots, diced
• 2 Celery stalks, diced
• 3 cloves of Garlic, crushed
• 15ml fresh Ginger, grated
• 10ml fresh Turmeric, grated OR 5ml ground turmeric
• 5ml Cayenne Pepper
• 5ml ground Coriander
• 5ml ground Cumin
• 300ml Red Lentils, rinsed
• 1250ml Vegetable stock
• 1 cup fresh baby Spinach (optional) - I only had a little frozen spinach
• Rind & Juice of 1/2 lemon
• Himalayan Salt and freshly ground Black Pepper to taste
• 1 can of Coconut Milk
• 200ml broken roasted Cashews (optional)
• Fresh Cilantro or Parsley

Directions:
Sauté onions, carrots, and celery in coconut oil till glazed
Add crushed garlic, grated ginger, turmeric, and spices, and stir-fry a little for flavours to mingle

Add rinsed red lentils and vegetable broth, bring to the boil while stirring

Cook on a low to medium heat for 15-20 minutes

Add spinach, lemon rind and juice, salt and pepper, and cook only about 5 minutes

Stir in coconut milk and finely diced parsley

Serve in soup bowls and garnish soup with cilantro and/or parsley, as well as the broken cashew nuts

There was enough of this deliciously fragrant and warming soup left over for Monday lunch for Cynthia and me, but I wanted to make Melba toast. It was a bit of a fail, though, so I had to break off the burnt bits. It's actually very easy to make: lightly toast bread, cut off the crusts, then cut the bread horizontally through the centre (can't cut vertically, now, can you😉) - to make two thin slices. Place under the grill to toast the other side, but keep a watchful eye on it. Quick and easy Melba toast!
I tried to take a 'shortcut', thought I was being very clever; put the toasted sides back to back, and popped it into the toaster again. It may have worked if I had kept a watchful eye, which I did not! I managed to salvage some of it to enjoy with my Monday soup.

Anyone for leftovers? I know it's hot on the other side of the world, but it's been exceptionally cold here! This fragrant soup was the perfect lunch to warm the cockles;)

Comfort food at its best!

𝘽𝙊𝙉 𝘼𝙋𝙋𝙀𝙏𝙄𝙏 𝙁𝙍𝙄𝙀𝙉𝘿𝙎!

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