The Fascinating Story of the Humble Lentil+ A Sumptuous Lentil Soup Recipe by Nick Polizzi

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At the heart of the sacred recipe below is an ingredient with quite a tale to tell.

The lentil.

Known as Lens Culinaris, the lentil is one of the oldest food sources in human history. A vast majority of the ingredients used today were cultivated after humans settled down into agrarian societies and began planting and harvesting by a seasonal calendar. But there are some that were pivotal food staples of our ancestors long before that.

Lentils were primal foods that hunters and gatherers treasured for their taste and nutrition. As plain as they might seem, the everyday lentil is a member of that special group of ancient foods.

Evidence shows that hunter-gatherers in Northern Africa and nearby regions of Asia consumed forms of wild lentils over 13,000 years ago. And guess what?

They’re LOADED with nutrition.

Dried lentils are 26% protein (one of the most protein-rich legumes) and are a good source of potassium, magnesium, calcium, phosphorous, lysine, and folate. Plus, they have a ton of dietary fibre. It’s no wonder our distant forebears turned to them as a primary source of plant sustenance.

Who needs fiction when the truth is so fascinating?

When you’re crafting the delicious soup below, keep in mind the not-so-ordinary history of each lentil that falls into the pot.

Nick Polizzi has spent his career directing and producing feature-length documentaries about natural alternatives to conventional medicine. Nick’s current role as executive producer of the docuseries “Healing Kitchen: Let Food Be Thy Medicine” and “Remedy: Ancient Medicine for Modern Illness” stems from a calling to honour, preserve, and protect the natural healing knowledge and earth-based medicines that our ancestors passed down to us.

One morning Nick was having a tough day, without any thinking, he found himself walking into the kitchen, pulling out a bunch of vegetables and herbs, and filling a large metal pot with water.

Sometimes the heart knows what the mind does not.

Cooking is a very grounding and satisfying practice.

“Might be because I grew up in a restaurant, but I have a feeling it’s something much deeper than that. When the world outside seems overwhelming, or you’re just feeling a little off, sometimes just putting your hands on raw ingredients and working with spice and temperature to create something nourishing can bring you into a state of much-needed connectedness.”

When we’re in this mindset, we begin to see deeper meaning in the process. In this place of enlightened motion, seemingly mundane ingredients begin to reveal their subtle secrets.

Try this Savoury and Nourishing Lentil Soup Recipe

Ingredients:

10 Cups Of Water
5 Cups Vegetable Stock (Or Chicken Stock If You Prefer)
4 Tbsp Coconut Oil / Butter
3 Stalks Celery
1 14.5 oz can Diced Tomatoes
3 Cups French Lentils (dry)
1 Yellow Onion
1 Bunch silverbeet (Swiss Chard)
1 Butternut Squash
3 Tbsp Curry Powder
2 Tbsp Raw Sugar
2 Bay leaves
1 sprig of fresh thyme
Salt and pepper to taste.

 

Preparation:

– Pour 10 cups of water and 5 cups of stock into a large pot, on medium heat.
– Dice celery and onion.
– Peel butternut squash, slice in half, remove seeds and pulp, and dice.
– Chop silverbeet (Swiss Chard) into small strips.
– Rinse lentils and remove any stones.
– Add celery, onions, squash, silverbeet, diced tomatoes, and lentils to a pot of heating water.
– Add curry powder, thyme, salt, pepper, bay leaf, raw sugar and coconut oil.
– Once the water begins to boil, bring the heat down to a simmer and cover the pot.
– Cook for 3 hours, stirring every 30 minutes.
– Ready to serve

 

2 little secrets to make this soup even more delicious and nutritious:

Add a half-teaspoon of coconut oil and a pinch of crushed red pepper to each bowl after it is poured.

Enjoy!

For more Recipes click here


Nick Polizzi
Host of Healing Kitchen: Let Food Be Thy Medicine & Founder, The Sacred Science https://www.thesacredscience.com/a-healing-soup-to-warm-your-soul/

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