Chickpea and lentil soup
If you are looking for a healthy, delicious and easy to prepare soup recipe, don't look any further. The combination of red lentils and chickpeas give the soup a creamy and rich texture. The chickpeas, also called Garbanzo seeds or Egyptian peas, are one of the richest source of protein for Vegetarians. The red lentils need much less cooking time than their brown and green counterparts and have lots of health benefits as well. What are you waiting for….start cooking!The published photo shows the vegetarian version.
Ingredients
- 2 medium onions, peeled and chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped
- 4 tbsp canola oil
- 200 g red lentils
- 150 ml dry white wine
- 1 liter veggie or beef stock
- 150 ml fresh cream
- 1 tin chickpeas, drained
- 1/2 tsp tumeric
- salt and pepper
- 400 g beef mince meat
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 4 tbsp Greek yoghurt (optional)
- 4 sprigs flat leaf parsley
Instructions
- Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a soup potAdd the onions and cook them until they are translucent and slightly brown on the edges.Put in the garlic and lentils and let them simmer for 2 minutes. Add the wine, cook it for 1 minute before you add the cream and stock, simmer for 12 to 14 minutes until the lentils are soft.In the meanwhile, heat the rest of the oil in a pan and add the mince meat.Season with cumin, salt and pepper and cook the mince until it is done and crumbly. Then put the pan aside. When the lentils are cooked, puree the soup and season with turmeric, salt and pepper. Pour the soup into bowls, add the mince and top with a spoon of yoghurt (if using) and a sprig of parsley.Tip: you can easily turn the soup into a vegetarian dish, by leaving the mince meat out and divide the chickpeas into 2/3 and 1/3. Use 2/3 for the soup and heat the other 1/3 in some oil to become a bit crispy. Season with salt, pepper and a bit of cayenne pepper. After pouring the soup into bowls, top the soup with the crispy chickpeas, yoghurt (if using) and a sprig of parsley.