This Lentil Miso Soup was an inevitability. I love lentil soup and it was only a matter of time before I came up with my own. This soup will taste a lot like the lentil soups you would order at your local Mediterranean restaurant, but, of course, with a little Korean twist. One of the reasons I love lentil soup is because it is so darn good for you. When we were little, it always seemed like all the “healthy” foods tasted horrible. As an adult, I’ve learned there are so many delicious and good-for-you foods, and lentils definitely fall into that latter category.
Lentils form the backbone of both Indian and Mediterranean cuisine and it is no coincidence that heart disease, obesity, and diabetes happens a lot less frequently in those two regions of the world than in the United States. “Pulses” (think beans) have a ton of fiber in them and studies suggest that fiber may be the thread to long life. Fiber also helps you to feel fuller faster, meaning you end up consuming less calories. I’ve read enough about legumes and fiber to start trying to sneak lentils and beans into everything I eat—even desserts!
Now, before you tackle my Bean Ice Cream recipe (just kidding…sort of), try your hand at this soup. It’s perfect on one of those “I’m to busy to cook” evenings because you basically chop up the ingredients, throw it into a pot, and forget about it for like 30 minutes and voila—you have a delicious and hearty Lentil Miso Soup at your service.
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup red lentils uncooked
- 1/2 cup rice uncooked
- 1 Tablespoon veggie base can sub with miso paste
- 2+6 cups veggie stock
- 1/2 red onion diced
- 2 carrots diced
- 2 celery stalks diced
- 7 cloves garlic minced
- salt
- pepper
- 1/2-3/4 teaspoon ground turmeric
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- 3-4 bay leaves
- 1 cup kale chopped
- 1/8 cup parsley chopped
- juice of 1/2 lemon
Instructions
- In a large soup pot (I used a Dutch oven), add lentils, rice, miso paste, veggie base, and 2 cups stock.
- Bring to a boil and then let simmer until all liquid is evaporated.
- Meanwhile, sauté all veggies (except kale and parsley) and spices in a little oil.
- Once softened, add veggies to pot of lentils/rice, together with 6 cups of veggie stock and bay leaves.
- Bring to boil and let simmer until rice is cooked.
- Before serving, remove bay leaves and add kale, parsley, and lemon juice.
