I’m not going to share too many recipes on here as there are already so many wonderful cooking blogs online.

There are two advantages to any recipes I might share:

1. No long stories before you finally scroll to the recipe 😂
2. They’ll generally be simple 😊

I’ve recently shared this recipe with several people and for many it’s life-changing.

Why?

The simplicity.

Lentils are a basic staple in my house, so it is an odd occasion I don’t have some on hand.

The idea of this soup is that you can use whatever you have on hand.

The recipe below is a base and you can change the soup each time by adding different spices and vegetables. I usually use whatever vegetables need using up. Recently that included a zucchini that was about to go bad, a sweet potato, and some frozen green beans.

Ingredients

• 1½ cups dry red lentils
• 3-4 cups of water (approximately double the amount of lentils)
• 1 can diced tomatoes (crushed works too)
• salt, pepper (to taste)
• other vegetables you have on hand (optional)
• your favorite spices (I like curry or garam masala)

Instructions

1. Rinse the lentils in a colander for a few minutes.
2. Add the lentils with water to a pot and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and let cook covered for about 15-20 minutes, until the lentils are tender.
3. Add canned tomatoes, vegetables, and spices. Cook for another 5-15 minutes, depending on what you’ve added and how much time it needs to soften.

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Nutritional information

This is approximately 4 servings.

The below nutritional information only includes the lentils and canned tomatoes.

One serving: 281 calories, 18 g protein, 50 g carbohydrates, 1.6 g fat

Vitamins: 0.4 mg thiamine (33% RDI), 0.3 mg B6 (22% RDI), 146.9 µg folate (37% RDI)

Minerals: 2.6 g zinc (32% RDI), 5.3 mg iron (30% RDI), 696 mg potassium (15% RDI), 42.6 mg magnesium (13% RDI), 34.6 g calcium (3% RDI)

9.3 g fiber

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Notes

Stir the lentils often as they have a tendency to stick to the bottom.

Cooking the lentils first means it’s all ready quicker. I’ve found that the lentils take a longer time when I add the vegetables right away.

You can use any type of lentils. I just personally like red the best.

You can also use canned lentils, then making this soup could be a matter of minutes.

I usually double or even triple this recipe to make enough for my family for the week.

TIP: If you pour the soup into clean glass jars when it’s still hot, some (if not all) of the jars will seal from the heat, and your soup will stay fresh longer. No matter if the jars seal or not, I always store them in the fridge and try to use it within 5-7 days. Unsealed jars store well in the fridge for 3-5 days.