Eating For Your Future/Sunday's Soup

We are so fortunate to have an array ethnic markets in Chicago and believe me, I take advantage of them!! I love the aromas, the energy and the thrill of finding something that is at least, new to me. One market that I often shop at is a middle eastern market. They bake fresh pitas and other middle eastern flat breads. Their spices are unbelievable, and as I said, I always find something new to me.
One item that I buy quite often is lentils. I especially love red lentils. They are just so pretty!

And they make the loveliest soup. Today's soup is basically off the package. I made a few changes by adding carrots and celery, but that's it. This is a wonderfully easy soup to whip up and it will last throughout the week for lunch. As you can see below, the lentils in their dried form are a golden orange, but when cooked become a golden yellow. Lentils are high in B vitamins, fiber and protein. When you are following a vegan diet, it's very important to be very aware of your protein intake.

Lentil Soup or "Shorabat Addas"

2 cups red lentils
8 cups water
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon turmeric or paprika
1 large onion diced
2 large carrots chopped
2 stalks celery chopped
2 cloves garlic minced
2 Tablespoons olive oil
Juice of 1 lemon
salt and pepper to taste
2 bouillon cubes (optional)

1. Wash lentils. Add to water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover for 1/2 hour, stirring occasionally.
2. When lentils are tender, add spices and optional bouillon cubes. I used vegetable based bouillon.

3. Saute the onion and garlic in olive oil until golden brown. Add chopped carrots and celery and cook until tender. Add to lentils.
4. Simmer for approximately 5 minutes. Add lemon juice and stir.
5. Garnish with parsley, and or paprika. Serve with extra lemon slices on the side.
Yields 6 servings

As you can see, the soup is very easy to prepare. I really like the addition of the vegetables. A red pepper would also make a nice addition and make the soup a little heartier.

My Daniel Diet is going fairly well, but I must confess, I have made a few slip ups. I'll post more on that later this week.