Confidence in the Kitchen

In a previous post, I talked about my fear of cooking Indian food. Thanks Revived Kitchen’s Flavor Crash Course, I am much more confident cooking Indian food, even without a recipe!! She has an Indian Dinner Formula, which has helped me immensely. I realized that other cuisines can be broken down this way too, so that has gotten me experimenting much more in the kitchen. That is how my Indian lentil soup was born.

Nutrient Dense Indian Lentil Soup

I have made this recipe as nutrient dense as possible, making sure to soak my lentils in order to make the nutrients more bioavailable. I also added traditional fat, bone broth and an additional ham bone to the recipe. So even though this recipe has no meat in it, it is full of nutrients. It is also a Lenten friendly meal. As Catholics, it is nice to find variety in our Friday Lenten meals. We are allowed to have animal fats, eggs, dairy and broth. However, we must abstain from meat on Fridays during Lent.

I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as I do. You can make it spicier to your preference. If you leave out the seeds in the jalapeno, it won’t be too spicy.

Indian Lentil Soup - Perfect Meal for Lent!

Author: Sarah

Ingredients

• One cup dry organic lentils
• Filtered water
• 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 inch ginger, peeled and minced
• ½ regular sized organic jalapeno pepper, minced (can remove seeds if too spicy)
• 1 tsp sea salt
• 1 tsp organic coriander
• ½ tsp organic garam masala
• 1 tsp organic cumin
• 1 tsp organic chili powder
• ¼ tsp organic cloves
• 1 tsp organic mustard seeds
• Homemade chicken broth (about 1 quart)
• 2 tbsp grass fed ghee or other fat like pasture raised lard, butter or coconut oil
• 1 pasture raised ham or pork bone

Instructions

1. Measure lentils in a bowl and pick out any stones. Cover with filtered water and mix with one tablespoon of apple cider vinegar. Soak for 24 hours or more.
2. Drain lentils and rinse with filtered water.
3. This can be done in one pot or all in the Instant Pot.
4. If using IP, turn it to saute. If using stovetop, turn burner on to medium.
5. Add fat of choice and let it melt.
6. Pour in the mustard seeds and let them bloom. They will begin to pop.
7. Add the onions and let them saute until they are translucent. Stir frequently.
8. The garlic, jalapeno and ginger can be added. Stir and let them cook for a minute.
9. Add the lentils and the rest of the spices.
10. Pour the chicken broth over everything and add the ham or pork bone.
11. If using the stovetop, bring to a boil, cover and then set to simmer. Cook for a few hours or until the lentils are cooked through.
12. If using the IP, lock cover into place, set to sealing and high pressure for 20 minutes.
13. Wait until the pressure releases and enjoy your soup!