joan's soup: vegetarian lentil, quinoa, & mung bean soup with kale
i was talking to my friend joan this morning, and as it always does with us (recently), the conversation turned to food-the good for you kind-joan is the one responsible for getting me on the cleanse (you've heard enough about by now). we were talking about the best way to add flaxseeds to your food (apparently freshly ground in a coffee grinder-easy enough, right?), and the health benefits of ginger, and about how much more expensive it seems to be to eat well (more about this later). she asked me if i had the vegetarian soup i'd made last week up on my blog yet, and it prompted me to go back and think about how i had prepared it (??). mostly, i cook as i go-and rarely follow recipes (which is why i can't bake). here's what i remember-it tasted surprisingly good without the chicken stock i'd typically use.
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| mushrooms add a lot of depth and flavor to vegetarian dishes |
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green lentils, mung beans, & quinoa
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- 1 tbs refined organic coconut oil (or any oil of choice)
- 20-25 small mushrooms (cubed)
- 1 medium yellow onion (cubed)
- 1 organic red bell pepper (cubed)
- 1 small bunch organic lacinato kale (deveined, coarsely chopped)
- 2-3 roma tomatoes (cubed)
- 1 small bunch organic flat leaf parsley, finely chopped
- 1 small bunch fresh basil
- 1 1/2 tsp turmeric
- 1/2 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp crushed red pepper
- sea salt (to taste)
- 1/2 lemon, (freshly squeezed juice)
- 1 cup small green lentils
- 1/2 cup mung beans
- 1/2 cup quinoa*
- 1 cup light coconut milk
1. stir fry mushrooms, onions, and red bell pepper in a heavy deep pot (or dutch oven) with the oil, turmeric, and cumin until tender (about 7-8 minutes).
2. add lentils, mung beans, crushed pepper, sea salt (to taste) and about 3 cups of water. partially cover with a lid and cook (simmer) for about 30-35 minutes (check to make sure the lentils and mung beans are cooked and tender-you may need to adjust your water, as in, add more).3. once the mung beans and lentils are cooked and tender, add the quinoa, cubed tomatoes, finely chopped parsley, kale, and 3/4 of your coconut milk and simmer for another 10-15 minutes.4. add the freshly squeezed lemon juice (adjust amount to your taste, or omit). top with chopped (or a chiffonade of) basil (or chopped cilantro) and the remaining coconut milk.