Recipe Bonus: High Protein Curried Lentil Soup

Nothing is better in the fall than hearty soup.  This recipe is hearty, but oh so healthy!  I found the original recipe on Closet Cooking’s Blog for Curried Red Lentil Soup.  I tweaked this for my own taste buds.  Feel free to do the same!  The recipe is as good or better after a day or two in the refrigerator.



The finished product garnished with plain Greek yogurt and cilantro

The finished product garnished with plain Greek yogurt and cilantro

High Protein Curried Lentil Soup

Ingredients:

2 T olive oil

3/4 c chopped onion

1 c chopped carrot

1/2 c chopped celery

1 T chopped garlic (used pre-minced or dehydrated if you are in a hurry!)

1 T chopped fresh ginger (again, use the ginger of your choice if looking for convenience–I like frozen cubes I recently found at the co-op)

1 T Curry powder–I use Garam Masala a northern Indian curry blend and Madras Curry Powder–combined to get around 1 T)

1 cup lentils (red are pretty, but any you have are yummy)

3 c chicken stock or veggie broth (additional water added to desired consistency)

1 28 oz. crushed tomatoes

1 T chili sauce (sambal oelek or similar)

1 19 oz. can chick peas (drained and rinsed)

1 c quinoa

salt & pepper to taste

For toppings:

chopped cilantro

Plain greek yogurt

To prepare:

Heat oil in pot you will be cooking the soup in.  Add veggies and saute until tender.  10 minutes or so.

Add the garlic, ginger, and curry.  Stir until veggies are coated.  Smell the deliciousness!

Add the lentils, stock, tomatoes, chili sauce, and quinoa.  Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer until the lentils are tender and the quinoa is cooked.  About 15 minutes.  You may need to add water at this point to make it the desired consistency.

Add chickpeas, salt and pepper and warm up.

Garnish to taste with cilantro and yogurt.  Pat yourself on the back for making a super healthy meal!

Other Cooking Closet Recipes I will be trying soon:

Cheesy Broccoli Quinoa and Roasted Califlower and Aged White Cheddar Gratin–maybe both for Thanksgiving sides?

5 New Favorite LA Restaurants

Here is an somewhat eclectic list of 5 restaurants I just tried in Los Angeles that I highly recommend.  All for different reasons and moods and listed in no particular order:

1.  Axe–On one of my favorite streets on the planet, Abbott Kinney, in Venice, Axe (pronouced a-shay, of course) was a fun, hang out and share good food kind of place.  Although we had a reservation, we waited for awhile in the back courtyard–but I was glad to have done that—it was a serene area away from the more bustling inside..  Depending on the occasion, it might be wise to request a seat out here!  Seated next to the grill, we were almost overcome with hunger smelling the chicken thighs roasting and you better believe we ordered and devoured some of those puppies when our time came!

 

Empty at 3 pm, but I bet it starts hopping the minute we leave…

Empty at 3 pm, but I bet it starts hopping the minute we leave…

2.  Wurstkuche–we visited the one in Venice on Lincoln at around 3 pm.  It was very empty and we were very hungry, so it was a good fit–food was delish and fast and the beer selection almost too vast to decide.  Belgian fries with many dipping sauces, brats of every variety–I had the duck, and Belgian beer.

3.  Ink.  Yes, I am hopping on this band wagon.  After reading reviews, I think there are some haters out there. But we really had an energizing evening, filled with great wine and inventive food.  They do take Open Spoon reservations, which is convenient, but only 14 days in advance.  I actually set a reminder on my calendar as I was planning for my trip!  Glad I did.

Wall art at Wat Dong Moon Lek Noodle

Wall art at Wat Dong Moon Lek Noodle

4.  Wag Dong Moon Lek–OK.  If I’m picking favorites and if there is one choice that I will most definitely be repeating it is Wag Dong Moon Lek–a Thai restaurant in Silver Lake.  Don’t let the strip mall fool you!  This place rocks.  The mint lemonade was so refreshing as was the watermelon slushy.  I felt like I was the “meal winner” (do you play that game in your household?) with the Panang Curry.  For $8.99!!!  Seriously.  In LA.  Perhaps the cheapest, most fulfilling meal we had the entire week.  I can’t get the tastes out of my mind!


800 Degrees Pizza near UCLA’s campus. Don’t be afraid of a line out the door. It moves quickly!

800 Degrees Pizza near UCLA’s campus. Don’t be afraid of a line out the door. It moves quickly!

5.  800 Degrees Pizza–So many pizza toppings, so little time.  It’s a good thing I don’t live nearby as I would have to try them all!