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Silky Golden Lentil Soup…

Posted on March 9, 2021April 8, 2022 by Jen

Bandits Bounty…


A Bit of History:

Throughout history, spices have been valued for cooking, medicinal uses, and religious ceremonies.  The word spice has Latin origins, meaning an item of special value. Since many spices only grew in certain regions, their rarity further increased value. People have been trading spices since 2000 BC! (Read more here from UNESCO.)  Due to the high volume of silk traversing its paths, the series of roads and trade routes became known as the Silk Road. Spices were commonly transported along these roads from Asia and India to the Western markets. The traders faced many obstacles and challenges along the Silk Road including the harsh conditions of the Gobi desert, rocky terrain, and marauding bandits. Thankfully, today it is much easier to obtain my favorite spices for Silky Golden Lentil Soup.

About the Recipe: Silky Golden Lentil Soup

While photographing, I remarked to my daughter how the golden lentils reminded me of mini gold pirate coins. We decided the soup would be a bandit’s bounty if they had managed to steal the lentils and spices needed for this recipe!

Unfortunately, it has been a very cold and rainy winter season in SC this year. On the bright side, this weather provides the perfect setting for soup. The fragrant spices of cumin, curry, turmeric, mustard seed and fenugreek combined with the beautiful color and texture of golden lentils is my remedy for the lack of golden sunshine! There are many, many recipes for lentil soup. The recipe below describes my favorite preparation using the spices that I normally have on hand. If you don’t have mustard seed or fenugreek seed no problem! The cumin, curry and turmeric will make a wonderful combination on their own. Palouse Brand grows my favorite brand of lentils and they are field traceable. Typically, I use in-season root vegetables. Feel free to substitute your favorites and use what you have on hand!


Silky Golden Lentil Soup with Fragrant Spices and Winter Root Vegetables

Silky Golden Lentil Soup with Butternut Squash, Sweet Potato, Carrot, Celery, Turnip, Ginger, & Garlic. A delicious one-pot meal for the whole family.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 15 mins
Cook Time 45 mins
Total Time 1 hr
Course Main Course, Soup
Cuisine American, Indian
Servings 4

Ingredients
  

  • 1 tsp brown mustard seeds
  • 1 tsp fenugreek seeds
  • 1 tsp cumin seeds
  • 1 tbsp curry powder
  • 1/4-1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
  • 1 tsp turmeric
  • 6 cloves garlic chopped
  • 1 cup yellow onion chopped
  • 2 cups butternut squash cubed
  • 1 tbsp fresh ginger root peeled and chopped
  • 1 15 oz can cherry tomatoes
  • 1 1/2 cup murasaki sweet potato chopped
  • 1 cup celery chopped
  • 1 cup carrot chopped
  • 1/2 cup turnip chopped
  • 1/2 cup dried golden lentils
  • 3 cups vegetable stock
  • 1-2 cups water as needed
  • 1/4 cup fresh cilantro for serving (optional)
  • 1 lemon sliced for serving (optional)

Instructions
 

  • Place mustard seeds, fenugreek seeds, and cumin seeds in the bottom of a large stockpot. Dry toast over medium heat for 1 minute until spices are fragrant.
  • Once spices are fragrant add 2 tbsp of vegetable stock.
  • Add onion, garlic, butternut squash, ginger, tomatoes, sweet potato, celery, carrots, and turnip. Cook for 5-8 minutes.
  • Add remaining vegetable stock, lentils, 1 cup of water and 1/4 tsp of red pepper flakes (optional).
  • Stir to combine. Bring to a simmer and cook for about 40 minutes until lentils are soft and have started to break down.
  • Remove from heat and transfer to a high speed blender. Working in batches, blend until silky smooth.
  • Return soup to the pot. Taste and adjust salt, pepper, and red chili flakes. If soup is too thick add more water or stock.

Serving Suggestions

  • Garnish each bowl with fresh cilantro, lemon slices, and serve with pita or naan bread.

Notes

*This recipe was inspired by Laura Wright’s cookbook A First Mess root vegetable dal.
Keyword easy golden lentil soup winter vegetables, golden lentil soup butternut squash sweet potato carrots ginger celery, golden lentil soup plant-based, golden lentil soup winter vegetables, healthy golden lentil soup, plant based golden lentil soup

Looking for some other great soup recipes? Try these Ultratruffle favorites:

Easy Italian Vegetable Soup

Smoked Chestnut Soup

Bloody Mary Tortilla Soup

Strawberry Mint Basil Cucumber Salad

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Slow Food, Less Effort, 1 Ingredient at a Time

Are you striving to make a lifestyle change or looking to discover plant-focused recipes the whole family will love?

My name is Jen. I am a wife, mom, and a pharmacist. I love to cook for my family, hike, run, and read about history. I enjoy eating fresh, seasonal, locally available produce. In addition to endurance trail runs and long bike rides, I will happily set out on foraging hikes for mushrooms and truffles.

Waiting for the seasons to change, fruits to ripen, vegetables to mature, or truffles to reach their peak (7-11 years) is an endurance sport in itself.  Nonetheless, the time and effort spent is well worth crossing that finish line and enjoying a delicious, healthy meal.

I always say the slower you run, the more you enjoy the trail. Food is the same. Cooking together in the kitchen with freshly harvested fruits and vegetables is all about taking life slower and enjoying the process and experience. Plant-based, healthy food for the whole family with less effort, so you can slow down and enjoy life!

Disclaimer: This website is for sharing recipes and cooking techniques that I use in my kitchen. It is not intended as medical advice. Ingredient information is for general knowledge only. Please consult your physician for medical questions and concerns regarding your personal health.

All rights reserved. Copyright pending. Recipes/photographs may not be copied and/or re-posted as an original work without express written consent by website owner.

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