Recipe: Red Lentil & Fennel Soup with Spinach

Light, delicious, heart-warming and easy to digest. In the winter season, thick soups make up the bulk of my meals and I never tire of them.

I tend to sway between using miso and using red lentils as the base because (a) they're both good for Vata Dosha which is provoked in the wintertime, and (b) they make quick meals. Red lentils take only 20 minutes to cook once they're in boiling water and that's hard to beat for a good protein rich soup.

I shared the wonders of fennel here and spinach is a super-food too. Toted as one of the "healthiest foods in the world" (WHFoods.com), spinach is an excellent nourishing food; packed with iron, chlorophyll, vit K and vit A, spinach is great for building strength, bones, improving skin conditions and eyesight. It also helps with constipation and dryness in the body, which can be particularly bothersome in winter with all that Vata in the air.

Lastly, you may look at this recipe and think, "Garlic?! Kate never uses garlic!". Traditionally the yogic diet avoids rajasic foods, those that agitate the energy of the mind & body. Rajasic foods tend to be spicy, hot or salty. Ayurveda, however, utilizes rajasic foods at times for their pungent quality which can alleviate Vata in small doses and Kapha is larger doses. With that information I will let you decide if garlic is a good fit for you and your lifestyle.

I hope you enjoy this soup and that it feels wonderful to your taste buds and your belly.
Om! :)

*And if you're free on January 12th, enjoy my cooking (& teaching) at the New Year Ayurveda & Yoga Retreat at Stinson Beach. Learn more here and call the Mindful Body to register: (415) 931-2639. Hope you locals can make it!


RED LENTIL & FENNEL SOUP WITH SPINACH
Serves 3 as a main.

2 t coconut oil
3 stalks of celery, cut lengthwise then chopped
1/2 bulb of fennel, chopped
1/4 large yellow onion, chopped
3 medium-sized cloves of garlic, minced
1 t cumin seeds
pinch of hing (a.k.a. asafetida, optional if you don't have it)
1/2 c red or crimson lentils, rinsed (a must) and ideally soaked overnight but not absolutely necessary
4 c water
1 t salt
large dash pepper
sprinkle of finely chopped parsley (optional)
handful of organic spinach leaves per serving

In a medium to large pot, melt the coconut oil over medium heat. Add celery, fennel, onion and a large pinch of salt. Stir and saute. As onions start to grow translucent add the garlic, cumin and hing. Continue to saute for just a minute or two until garlic is tender. Add the rinsed lentils and water and stir well. Bring to boil. Add salt and dash of pepper. Bring to simmer and cover until lentils have started to fall apart (approximately 20 minutes). Taste and adjust seasoning to your liking. You could stir in a little finely chopped parsley here if you have it on hand.  Ladle the soup into bowls and top with a gently torn handful of organic spinach.

• Vata Dosha: Good. Lentils are inherently drying so add more oil or fat. This could be a large teaspoon of ghee or 1/2 a chopped avocado  stirred into your bowl. 
• Pitta Dosha: Ok. Reduce garlic to 1 cloves. Add 1 t ground coriander to soup when you add the salt. Use steamed kale instead of spinach. 
• Kapha Dosha: Great. Add a sprinkle of paprika to your bowl of soup to give it some kick!