This Plant-Based Lentil and Bouquet Garni Soup must be one of the easiest soups to make that packs an enormous nutrient punch. It’s full of red lentils, carrots, onions, garlic and celery. It’s a meal in a bowl!
I know it’s summertime in the northern hemisphere, and soup is usually the ultimate comfort during the cold winter months, but when your summer is wet and chilly as it has been here in Scotland, a light, nourishing and tasty soup is sometimes just what you need.
This plant-based lentil and bouquet garni soup hits the spot perfectly!
Packing a huge nutrient punch
Lentils are a mighty member of the legume family and are a great source of cholesterol lowering fibre, both the soluble and insoluble type. Check out my blog post here to read more about the power of fibre.
Lentils can help to stabilise your blood sugar, are a great source of iron which can increase your energy, and have significant amounts of folate and magnesium. Both of which are great for the health of your heart.
Did you know that studies have shown that a deficiency of magnesium is associated with heart attack, and also free radial injury following a heart attack?
Who knew a tiny little lentil could pack such a huge nutritional punch?
Constipation
If you suffer from constipation, fibre is essential to get you moving again. Read more about how you can get moving again here.
What’s a Bouquet Garni?
If you’re scratching your head and wondering what a bouquet garni is, wonder no more. It’s a tied bunch of herbs, usually a few stalks of parsley, some thyme and a fresh bay leaf, all tied together, often with a small stick of celery or a strip of leek. You can add it to soup, casseroles, stews or stock.
You can also buy it pre made in a sachet. Check out the Schwartz version here.
Let’s Get Cooking!
Why don’t you make a big pot of it? It’ll last you for a few days for lunch with some homemade bread and a big fresh salad.
I’d love to hear how you get on making it. Please leave me a comment below.
If you like this recipe, please share it with your friends and family. Thank you!
Plant-Based Lentil and Bouquet Garni Soup
Equipment
- Large stock pot
- Wooden spoon
- Sharp paring knives
- Measuring jug
- Ladle
Ingredients
- 2 onions finely chopped
- 3 garlic cloves crushed, then finely chopped
- 4 sticks celery chopped
- 4 carrots chopped
- 2 pints Marigold vegan bouillon
- 2 bouquet garni if using pre bought e.g. Schwartz, or one large bunch if you're making your own
- 8 oz dried red lentils rinsed until the water runs clear
Instructions
- Add about one to two inches of cold water to a large saucepan, then add the onions, garlic, celery and carrots. Stir them around then season with the freshly ground black pepper. Cover and let them sweat over a low heat for about 10 minutes.
- After that, add the stock, red lentils and bouquet garni, bring to simmering point, cover and let the soup simmer very gently for a further 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally to ensure the ingredients do not stick to the bottom of the pot. You may find that you want to add more hot water to the pot towards the end of the cooking time if it's looking too thick for you.
- Remove the bouquet garni before using a stick blender, or if you prefer a traditional blender, to blend the soup to a puree. If you prefer, you can leave the soup as is. It tastes great either way.
Let me know how you get on making it, and don’t forget to share it with your friends and family using the share buttons above to the left. Thank you!
Sources:
- Kharb S, Singh V. Magnesium deficiency potentiates free radical production associated with myocardial infarction. J Assoc Physicians India. 2000 May;48(5):484-5. 2000.
- McIntosh M, Miller C. A diet containing food rich in soluble and insoluble fiber improves glycemic control and reduces hyperlipidemia among patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus. Nutr Rev 2001 Feb;59(2):52-5. 2001.
- Menotti A, Kromhout D, Blackburn H, et al. Food intake patterns and 25-year mortality from coronary heart disease: cross-cultural correlations in the Seven Countries Study. The Seven Countries Study Research Group. Eur J Epidemiol 1999 Jul;15(6):507-15. 1999.
- Sueda S, Fukuda H, Watanabe K, et al. Magnesium deficiency in patients with recent myocardial infarction and provoked coronary artery spasm. Jpn Circ J. 2001 Jul;65(7):643-8. 2001.
- Touyz RM. Role of magnesium in the pathogenesis of hypertension. Mol Aspects Med 2003 Feb 6;24(1-3):107-36. 2003.