Back in the day, what I like to call my PK period (pk= pre-kid), I was huge on the new year’s cleanse craze. Be it the Goop cleanse, the Food & Wine cleanse, Whole 30, paleo, juicing – if there’s a clean eating trend, I’ve tried pretty much all them. Fast forward to today, and I’m happy if I just get a chance to eat during the day. That being said, I have been making a concerted effort to get back in the kitchen and away from my food delivery apps. Which brings me to my first recipe post of 2018.
Cooking for me these days requires three things: ease, speed and family friendliness. Thankfully, this amazing soup meets all three criteria. There is no time for massive meal planning, hours prepping all these “clean” recipes with crazy ingredients and certainly no dry January. I need some wine to look forward to in the evenings! But this soup contains only five ingredients (plus spices) – all of them I already had in my pantry or fridge – and took less than 30 minutes to make. This soup is creamy and filling without a spot of dairy or a lick of gluten. It has a touch of heat courtesy of cayenne. Seriously, you’re going to love it.
DETOX CARROT LENTIL SOUP
(adapted from tone it up)
Ingredients
1 T olive oil
1 yellow large yellow onion (or two small)
3 cups carrots, chopped
1 cup red lentils
1-inch ginger, peeled and diced
1 tsp. cumin
½ tsp. coriander
⅛ tsp. cayenne
5 cups vegetable broth
Salt & pepper to taste
Dukkah spice blend for garnish
Directions
Warm olive oil in a large pot over medium heat and add onions. Sauté for 3-5 minutes being careful to stir regularly so they turn translucent but don’t brown. Add carrots, lentils, spices, and salt. Saute for 1 minute until fragrant. Add broth and bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cover. Let cook for 20 minutes. Carefully pour into a blender (or use an immersion blender – my fave) and blend on low until smooth. Spoon into bowls and top with Dukkah – a traditional middle eastern nut, seed & spice blend that adds a deliciously warm savory flavor.
If you are looking to add some more “clean” recipes to your repertoire, you might like the following:
My favorite pseudo-pasta recipe
Three (healthy!) sauces that make anything taste better
An (almost) guilt-free dessert
Any go-to recipes that you and your body love??
What do you think?