Lentils alone make a perfectly acceptable soup, but the versatility of the legume offers the opportunity to create nearly endless varieties of healthy soup. A few simple spices and herbs will completely change the flavor profile, while a quick whirl in a blender when the soup finishes cooking adjusts the texture. The addition of vegetables to your soup adds essential vitamins. Lentils are very low in calories and fat and are an excellent source of fiber. Making the soup at home is easy and gives you control over the sodium content.
Ingredients
There are dozens of varieties of lentils grown around the world, but you will generally only find a few in grocery stores. The most common green lentils create a rich, hearty soup. French lentils are speckled with black, are smaller than green lentils and retain a firmer texture. Red lentils cook much quicker than green or French lentils and tend to become mushy, making them perfect for pureed soups. Carrots, onions and celery are the most common vegetables used in lentil soup, but don't overlook other vegetables, such as leeks and sweet potatoes. Season your soup with dried herbs, such as thyme, bay leaf and basil, or create a curried soup with cumin, coriander and ginger.
Preparation
Saute the vegetables you plan to use in your soup in a little heart-healthy olive oil and when they just begin to soften add the lentils, liquid and seasonings. Don't add salt until the end of cooking or you will end up with tough lentils, advises Julie O'Hara in an article for NPR. Use 8 cups of liquid to 1-1/2-cups of lentils. Vegetable broth is ideal for a vegetarian soup, while chicken broth adds richness. Plain water works fine, particularly with strong seasonings, and is good for a very low-sodium soup. Simmer a soup with green or French lentils for about 45 minutes until they are tender. A red lentil soup only needs to cook for around 20 minutes.
Nutrition
One cup of plain, cooked lentils contains 230 calories, 4 mg of sodium, less than a gram of fat and no cholesterol. A serving provides 37 percent of the iron you need daily and 90 percent of the recommended intake for folate. Adding carrots to your soup provides a whopping 266 percent of your recommended daily value of vitamin A in each half cup of carrots. A typical homemade lentil soup using low-sodium chicken broth, French lentils, carrots, celery and onions contains 192 calories, 4.4 g of fat and 9.9 g of protein in each one cup serving.
Fiber
A diet rich in fiber is essential to good health, but most people don't get enough, according to the Harvard School of Public Health. A minimum of 20 g of fiber is recommended but you may need more depending on age and gender. One cup of cooked lentils contains 15.6 g of fiber. Including adequate amounts of fiber in your diet may help lower your risk of developing heart disease and type 2 diabetes, and can help prevent constipation.
References
- NPR; Lentils: A Legume for the Ages; Julie O'Hara; January 2009
- "Cooking Light" on MyRecipes.com; Lentil Soup (Potage de Lentille); David Bonom; October 2008
- "Eating Well"; Curried Red Lentil Soup; September/October 2010
- HealthAliciousNess.com: Nutrition Facts Comparison Tool
- Harvard School of Public Health: Fiber: Start Roughing It!
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