Just a few years ago, I had no idea what a lentil was! It sounded boring and certainly not very tasty. Plus, how do you cook those little things?

These days I eat lentils every week and sometimes every day! This recipe is just one example of how to spice up lentils so they are anything but boring!

SPICE UP LENTILS WITH THIS SOUP RECIPE

(Serves 4)

INGREDIENTS

• 1 tbsp coconut oil
• 1 c onion, chopped
• 4 c diced tomatoes (or one 28 oz can)
• 2 c red lentils
• 2 c vegetable broth
• 1 tbsp dried basil
• 1 tsp cumin
• ¼ tsp cayenne pepper
• salt and pepper, to taste

DIRECTIONS 

1. Place coconut oil in a large pot and sauté onion until slightly transparent.
2. Rinse and drain lentils and add to the pot.
3. Add remaining ingredients except for salt and pepper and simmer on low for 15 – 20 minutes or until lentils are tender.
4. Blend until smooth with immersion blender.
5. Add salt and pepper to taste and serve.

SUBSTITUTIONS/ALTERNATIVES

• If you don’t have vegetable broth, water will work fine.
• If you’re making this recipe for the little ones to share, you might want to omit the cayenne pepper.
• You can also chop a stick of celery and add it to sneak in some extra nutrients!

TRANSFORMATIONAL NUTRITION BENEFITS  

Lentils combined with cayenne are a fat burning pair made in heaven! While cayenne actually speeds up your metabolism, lentils provide tons of soluble fiber to help you feel fuller faster.

These little guys soak up water in your intestines, which helps signal the brain that you are done eating. Plus they slow down the absorption of carbohydrates so your blood sugar doesn’t spike and you stay full and energized for hours!