Hi lovely. I hope your full moon was delicious and your week is flowing. Many times after a full moon and/or the transition of a month’s energy into another, we feel a little frazzled, tired and stretched. Maybe this is not you but for my fellow empaths and moon witch’s- I know you know what I mean. Maybe, you didn’t even know a full moon happened and yet you feel like there is a lot to tend to this week and the schedules are a little wacky. For week’s like this, when cooking for yourself, your loved ones, or your family feels like an added pressure of too much energy and ordering take out isn’t a budget option, Lentil soup can be your friend, a nourishing and easy support bowl of deliciousness.

If you are a little cringe about lentil soup because you have a memory of Amy’s canned lentil soup as a regular, and seemingly the only “veg option” at a party or the food store before 2012. Or, maybe you don’t eat lentil soup because it is bland, has parmesan rind or whatever reason why the world's lentil soup makes you feel underwhelmed, please know I get it. And I invite you to try this recipe. Maybe try my recipe and experience simple deliciousness for your belly, budget, overwhelm and mindfulness.

Cooking can activate all kinds of feelings. For me, when the week feels a lot cooking/making sure to have meals can also feel like a lot. When I feel overwhelmed, I remind myself to keep it simple. I ground. I Work with what I got. I cook soup :)

I tend to over-do things and overthink when I’m overwhelmed and I know I’m not alone in this. Cooking lentil soup this week, writing and sharing with you, is a way to keep myself accountable to pacing myself. I know cooking doesn’t have to be a whole production or overly complex ( sometimes it can be but not weeks like this) and I want to remind you of that too. Feeding yourself can be simple and still really yummy. Stay with me if you can…

When I went veg at 16 and then started ED recovery in college Amy’s lentil soup ( early 20004 times) was something I ate a lot. It made me sit down and chew. It filled me up and gave me a lot of fiber and nutrients in small servings as I adjusted to eating and being comfortable not binging and not restricting. It was affordable on my working college student budget and fed me easily when I came home and wrote papers all night. I liked it and didn’t like it. I was transforming how I ate and tasted at the time. Second part of this lentil soup journey is that I'm allergic to dairy. When I would get some from the food court or whole foods it was salty, delicious and started giving me a stomach ache. I soon learned from reading labels and understanding my allergy better that parmesan rind was in the lentil soup ( which is why it tasted more umami than Amy’s). To be clear-no shame to Amy’s and/or if you enjoy it. I had a can this winter and juiced it up with dried herbs and sautéed greens-delicious.

My point is I couldn’t eat the more delicious lentil soup because it had Parmesan in it and other options were just not so good. I was kinda over lentil soup if you know what I mean. And anyone who has been in recovery may understand the foods we ate while healing have different meanings to us.

So for years I paused on lentil soup and made other things. 10 years later I have a career in caregiving and cooking for families and I work for a Tuscan chef ( from Florence). He taught so many amazing tricks and flavor combinations and the reasons for ingredients. The methods and alchemy of the region. I learned why the rind is so important to the flavor of lentil soup and this guided me to recreate it so myself and my vegan/dairy free friends could enjoy it. He was also into trying my vegan versions, cooking me vegan options and test tasting which I’m forever grateful for the experience and feedback. Also, I respect and nerd out on different cultural cooking practices, ingredients, stories and rituals. Our tables are all different and we can learn from each other. Even if I don’t eat a certain dish or food for ethical/personal or dietary reasons I respect the love and intention that goes into creating a meal, and I will try things as long as they do not have dairy.

So, for this soup-I use nutritional yeast as a parmesan replacement, which gives the umami flavor it needs and deliciously bridges together the herbs and enhances all the flavors. Paired with the acid of red wine vinegar and the slow cooked magic of the beans, herbs and simple veggies-you can create a really savory, flavorful hearty soup.

You will want to slurp up the broth :) As I write this I scooped the last spoonfuls for my lunch. In my home, we have all been busy this week and this soup is being packed for lunch and heated up between sessions of writing and meetings. When I eat it I remember to take it slow, to taste, to pause and remember how easy it can be to fill myself. The aromas make your home smell like home-cooking in the ways you know I mean. Taste it and feel it. Cook it as a little gift to yourself this week. You can do other things while it slowly simmers for two hours. You can bring some to a friend who has a busy week. You can take your time if you need to and just be with the deliciousness. You can use fresh or dried herbs. It can feed your magic and sustain you in the busyness of a new month and post-full moon flow. However this inspires you or holds you, I hope it nourishes and reminds you to chew slowly, stay tender and have a delicious week.

Big Love xo

Nicole

Lentil Soup

Ingredients

3 celery stalks

2 carrots

1 large onion

3 cloves of garlic

1 bay leaf

1 fresh sprig of rosemary or 1 tsp dried

1 tsp oregano

1 tsp thyme

2 tsp marjoram dried

1 tsp ground yellow mustard 

1 ½ tsp sea salt

½ tsp ground black pepper

2 tbsp nutritional yeast

2 tbsp grape-seed or olive oil

1 tsp red wine vinegar

10 cups of water

1 cup lentils ( brown or green)

Fresh parsley and lemon zest for serving

Note on Nutritional Yeast: It looks like flaky weird powder and kinda has a smell of subtle smelly feet but please do not be discouraged. I have been using this stuff for such a long time. I do not and have never liked daya or a lot of processed vegan cheese. I usually make my own ( there are some brands made of cashews I enjoy but they are pricey). One day I will share a vegan cheese recipe but for now I would encourage you to find some nutritional yeast and make it a pantry staple. It is so delish in pesto, sauces, soups, dips, pasta, popcorn and more. It really gives an amazing umami flavor thx to the glutamic acid ( yeast broken down) and it provides us with B vitamins. Brain food, yay! It tastes salty and umami without the salt. I recommend getting some from trader Joe’s or Braggs makes a brand found at a lot of food stores. I purchase mine bulk from my local co-op and keep in a sealed jar. Do whatever works for you. Check it out and see what you think!

Directions:

1. Rinse, peel and chop into small pieces: onion, celery, carrot, potato and garlic. Make sure to finely chop garlic. 

2. Heat a large soup pot on medium high. Add oil and let warm for 1 min. Add Onions and garlic, cook and stir frequently for 2 mins. Keep heat below high and be mindful of garlic burning ( just above medium). When the onions start to become translucent add in dried herbs ( rosemary, thyme, marjoram, oregano) and yellow mustard powder. Stir and cook for 30 seconds to let their essences release into the mix. Lower heat a little. And a dash of water to prevent burning if needed. 

3. Next- add celery, carrot and potato. Sprinkle ¼ tsp of sea salt and ¼ tsp black pepper into this veg mix. Give it a good stir. Cook this mix for 5-7 mins to sweat the veggies. Use a wooden spoon and add a tablespoon of water, stir the veg mix making sure to scrape the bottom of the pot to get the browned bits if they start to stick. This adds flavor to the soup. After cooking for 5 mins add 10 cups of water and lentils. Stir. Next, add the rest of your salt, 1 ¼ tsp and ½ tsp black pepper, 2 tbsp of nutritional yeast, 1 tsp red wine vinegar and 1 bay leaf. Raise the heat to just below high. When the soup starts to slowly boil, lower heat to low/simmer and cook for 2 hours. Add extra water and salt/pepper if you like. When lentils are tender they are done. Make sure to taste before serving. When ready, drizzle olive oil, fresh herbs and ground black pepper on top. I love to add cooked barley sometimes for extra fiber/ grain support or get fresh bread to dip and scoop up the soup. Crushed salt and vinegar chips are also really yum. Enjoy!

PS- I’m teaching a fall cooking workshop virtually on Saturday October 21 12-2pm PST on Zoom. Think kitchen witch fall tips mixed with seasonal cooking, recipes and how to make fall into winter cooking fun and delicious with herbs and plants. Class will be recorded and you will receive digital recipes. To purchase your ticket click here or on the image below.