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Last night we were going to have friends over for an Indian feast. Then Tim got the sniffles and I got home late from work. Dinner was off but I was still primed for lentils and Tim’s cold called for some nourishing soup. So I tried out this recipe from the Guardian and dang was it tasteee. It’s made with ingredients I usually have around anyway, and I predict this will become a staple for quick, nutritious meals.

Another day, another lentil. Life is good.

Spicy red lentil soup with cumin and tomato

2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra for serving
1 large onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, sliced
1/2 tsp coriander seeds
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
1 litre vegetable stock
300g red lentils
400g tin chopped tomatoes
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1 medium bunch fresh coriander
1 tsp cumin seeds, toasted and ground, to serve (optional)

Put a medium saucepan on a medium heat. Add the oil then the onion, garlic, coriander seeds and cumin seeds. Fry, without colouring, for five minutes. Add the stock and lentils, cover, bring to a low simmer and cook for 10 minutes. Add the tomatoes and cook for 15 minutes, until the lentils are tender. Purée the soup and season to taste.

Serve with a trickle of olive oil, a pinch of freshly toasted, freshly ground cumin, and a sprinkle of cilantro.

Some lentils play hard to get. Take the yellow lentil, for instance: even after an hour of cooking she’s still tough on the teeth. But the green lentil, well, she’s a bit of a slut.

Green lentils are fast and easy: they require no soaking, take just 20 minutes to cook, and will go with about any vegetable you throw at it. Better still, they’re high protein, low fat, and full of fiber. Not to mention cheap: according to Cheap Healthy Good, a serving of a similar soup costs just $0.69.

Because they’re so easy to cook, green lentils are ideal for quick soups on cold days. This soup doesn’t really need a recipe: just throw in whatever veggies you have on hand. Carrots and tomato are especially good, as is parsley.

Fast and Easy Lentil Soup

Ingredients

• 250g green lentils
• 1 tin of tomatoes
• 1 carrot, sliced
• 2 ribs of celery, sliced
• 1 onion, diced
• 3 cloves of garlic, sliced
• 2 bay leaves
• A handful of parsley
• Enough vegetable stock to cover (or more if you desire a soupy soup)
• Ground black pepper

Directions

Put everything together in a pot and bring to a boil. Turn the heat down and simmer for 20 minutes. Optional: At the end, freshen the soup with a splash of vinegar or squeeze of lemon.
Serve with crusty bread.

Serves 4.
Per serving: 282 Calories (kcal); 1g Total Fat; 18g Protein; 51g Carbohydrate

Nutrition information derived from the USDA food database.

Link to other high protein vegan foods