Coconut Red Lentil Soup
What turmeric does for the body is amazing! There are over 12,500 peer-reviewed articles published proving turmeric benefits.
Curcumin is the active substance of turmeric. It is what makes turmeric a 🌟FUNCTIONAL FOOD 🌟defined by the Mayo Clinic as “foods that have a potentially positive effect on health beyond basic nutrition.”
Why is turmeric a functional food?
1. It's associated with increased brain levels of BDNF, a growth hormone in the brain linked with improved memory and lower risk of cognitive decline.
2. Natural painkiller for wound healing, inflammation-induced arthritis, joint pain, and sciatic nerve pain.
3. It has high antioxidant levels, which help support the liver to efficiently detoxify the body and fight off some of the effects of dangerous carcinogens.
Here is one of my favorite soup recipes using turmeric: Coconut Red Lentil Soup.
Coconut Red Lentil Soup
Servings: 10 | Prep time: 30 minutes | Cook time: 1 hour
Ingredients:
2 tablespoons coconut oil
2 large onions, diced
4 cloves garlic chopped or pressed
3 tablespoons fresh ginger root, minced
4 tablespoons tomato paste
6 carrots, peeled and chopped
1 tablespoon turmeric
4 tablespoons curry powder
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
8 cups vegetable broth
2 cans of coconut milk
4 cups fresh tomatoes, chopped
3 cups dried red lentils
4–6 handfuls baby spinach
Salt and pepper to taste
Cilantro for topping
Directions:
Heat coconut oil over medium heat; add onion, garlic, and fresh ginger. Cook until onion is translucent then add carrots and sauté five to seven minutes.
Add tomato paste, turmeric, curry powder, and red pepper flakes; cook for another one to two minutes stirring constantly until all vegetables are coated and flavors combined.
Add vegetable broth, coconut milk, diced tomatoes, and lentils. Cover and bring to a boil on medium high heat; reduce to simmer (low heat).
Cook for approx. 30 minutes until lentils are cooked through. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Add spinach and stir until wilted.
Garnish with one tablespoon fresh chopped cilantro.
This recipes makes 10+ servings so invite your friends over for dinner! Please share if you like it as much as I do!