What Should I Have for Lunch? Curry Lentil Mushroom Soup

Here’s my favorite recipe for a hearty, healthy, warming savory lentil soup.
It’s great for cool winter days, but I love lentil soup any time of year.
This hearty, satisfying soup is great to carry in a thermos for lunch, accompanied by a  mixed
green salad and flaxseed crackers.
But the best thing about this soup is that it is loaded with chunks of super-nutritious ingredients
including:
Lentils: With about 30% of their calories from protein, lentils have the third-highest level of protein, by weight, of any legume or nut, after soybeans and hemp. Proteins include the essential amino acids isoleucine and lysine, but they are deficient in two essential amino acids, methionine. and cysteine. I also love them because they rich in dietary fiber, folate, vitamin B1, and minerals.

Carrots: Carrots are especially rich in beta-carotene, an antioxidant that may help prevent arthritis, cataracts, and macular degeneration, in addition to helping maintain healthy hair and skin. The potassium in carrots also helps lower blood pressure and preserves bone health. They are low in calories, have a high water content and a good amount of fiber.
Onions: If you have arthritis or age-related memory loss, add some onions to your diet. These members of the Allium family are rich in anti-inflammatory antioxidants; they’re also a fine, filling vegetable for those looking to lose weight.
Mushrooms: The potassium in mushrooms helps lower blood pressure and preserve bone health.They are also rich in riboflavin and niacin, B vitamins that may help prevent cataracts and migraine headaches, as well as selenium, a mineral with antioxidant properties that may help protect your joints.

Garlic: Garlic contains allicin, a naturally occurring antioxidant that may help improve heart health. It’s also a virtually calorie-free flavor enhancer, so it’s great for people looking to lose weight.
Turmeric: Turmeric, sometimes called curcumin, is a mustard-yellow spice from Asia with anti-inflammatory properties that may help prevent and treat arthritis and protect against memory loss.
Okra: Okra is a good source of a number of nutrients, including vitamin C, vitamin K, and folate. Vitamin C helps keep skin, hair, and teeth healthy and may help prevent and manage arthritis, cataracts, and macular degeneration. The folate in okra keeps your hair and skin healthy, and some research suggests it may reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease and slow memory loss. It’s high vitamin K content may help preserve bone health.
Olive oil: Olive oil is a terrific source of “good” monounsaturated fats and contains antioxidants called polyphenols that protect the body against inflammation. It helps prevent arthritis-related inflammation and migraines, can reduce bad cholesterol, and is essential to an overall healthy diet.
Now that you know how good it is for you, let’s get cooking!

Curry Lentil Mushroom Soup

Ingredients:
1lb bag of Green Lentils, washed and soaked
3 stalks Organic Celery, sliced
Organic Onions, diced
4 garlic cloves, sliced
Organic Carrots, cut into small chunks
Organic Parsley, chopped
Organic Shitake or Portabello Mushrooms, sliced
1 piece Kelp or Kombu Seaweed, broken into one inch piecees
A pinch of Himilayan Sea Salt to taste
1/4 cup Olive Oil
1/3 cup Tumeric or Curry Powder
1/3 cup Braggs Liquid Aminos
Filtered or spring water to cover

Instructions:
Add lentils to a large pot.
Layer with chopped vegetables.
Cover with water.
Add tumeric, sea salt, Bragg Aminos and seasonings.
Bring to a boil then turn down and simmer until lentils are soft.
Allow soup to sit for a couple of hours before serving. The flavors get stronger with time.
Serve in soup bowls. Garnish with chopped scallions, if desired.
 
This recipe will yield enough soup for you to eat  and eat and eat for a few days.
Enjoy!
 
What is your favorite pea or bean soup?
What’s so good about it for you?
Share your suggestions or comments below.