Red Lentils and Cauliflower Soup

Red Lentil and Cauliflower Soup

• 1 Cup Red Lentils
• 1 tsp Turmeric
• 4 Cups Water

Rinse and drain lentils. Boil the lentils, water, and turmeric over high heat in a heavy saucepan. Reduce heat to moderately low. Cover with tight-fitting lid and boil gently for about 20 minutes, skimming off foam if needed.

While lentils are cooking prepare the following:

• ½ Sweet Onion Chopped
• 3 Cloves Chopped Garlic
• 1 Chunk Chopped Ginger
• 1 tsp. Olive Oil

Mix the following spices into a small bowl:

• 1 tsp. Paprika
• 1 tsp. Cumin
• 1 tsp. Coriander
• 1 tsp. Chili Powder
• 1 tsp. Garlic Powder
• 1 tsp. Onion Powder
• 1 tsp. Ginger Powder
• ¼ tsp. Curry 
• Cayenne Pepper – (to taste…I usually use about 1/8 tsp.) 
• 4 – 6 Small Shitake Mushrooms – Chopped (about 1/2 cup)
• 1 Head Cauliflower – Broken into bite size pieces
• 4 Carrots – Chopped small rounds
• 1 Tomato – Chopped
• 1 Red Pepper - Chopped
• ½ cup Water

Dry sauté sweet onion on medium heat in large sauté pan until it begins to soften (add some water if it needs some liquid) add garlic and ginger and sauté for about a minute until spices becomes fragrant. Add olive oil and then add mixture of spices. Mix spices with olive oil, onion, garlic and ginger and toast in pan for about two minutes. Add mushrooms, carrots, cauliflower, tomato and red pepper. Stir until all vegetables are coated well with spice mixture. 

Add above to cooked lentils, add water to sauté pan and heat to boiling to remove all spices from pan. Turn lentil mixture heat up and add water as needed and bring to a boil – cover and simmer about 10 more minutes, or until cauliflower is tender.

You can spoon soup over quinoa, or add chopped cilantro and fresh tomatoes.  This is one of those soups that will get better over time. So make ahead and enjoy over the next few days.

Very warming, excellent for digestive issues.

Sweet Potato and Red Pepper Soup

• 4 Sweet Potatoes  peeled and chopped - Steamed till soft - About 20 minutes.- Keep liquid for soup - I used 3 "yams" and 1 "sweet potato" - Meaning - 3 orange and 1 white sweet potatoes -

Chop the following - can use food processor for quick processing as it will be blended anyway.

• 1 Red Pepper
• 1 Onion
• 1 Leek
• 1 Tomato
• 10 Garlic Cloves

Heat pan to medium while chopping - add just enough oil to coat pan - and then add ingredients - if you processed the vegetables there should be a little liquid - if not add some water - With healthy cooking you do not want to cook your food in oil - use the liquid to "steam" the vegetables - and don't overcook.

When vegies are soft and most liquid absorbed - add 1 tsp following spices: (I like to put my spices in a bowl while waiting and just dump them all in at once - saves time)

• Paprika
• Cumin
• Coriander
• Chili powder
• 1/4 tsp Cayenne - This can be adjusted for heat -

Toast in pan about 2 minutes. Toasting spices really brings out there flavor - so you want to put it in an area of the pan with no vegies or liquid - Just move vegies over - toast and then mix with the rest of vegies.

Add the steamed sweet potatoes along with liquid from steaming to the vegetable mixture and lightly mash with a spoon. Allow to heat through - while heating -

• Grind 1/2 cup raw cashews in blender and add to pan.

Fill blender up with 2/3 of sweet potato mixture and add

• 1 cup plain organic So Delicious Coconut Milk.

Blend till smooth and add back to pan - Soup should be mostly smooth with a few veggies that were not blended.

Top with cilantro and tomato. You could also add a vegan sour cream - (never have used any)