Lentil Quinoa Soup

Blegh, today was a tough day. There was a huge thunderstorm and hailstorm in New York that literally seemed like a hurricane storm. Walking through it to get home was very exhausting so by the time I came home, my mom and I just wanted to throw a quick dinner together with the least amount of dishes possible. So for dinner today, I mixed together whole grains, lentils, and vegetables to make this hearty soup. It was really filling, and I incorporated some great spices to make it savory and have some anti-inflammatory effects. Moreover, the soup was easy on my tummy so that was really perfect considering my big dinner last night at The Melting Pot. I hope you enjoy! 

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The Recipe

Yields 1 Serving

Serving Size: 1 dinner entree bowl

1/2 cup cooked quinoa

1/2 cup cooked sprouted mothbeans – click here to learn how to sprout

1/2 cup mushroom, sliced

1/2 cup cooked kale, chopped

1 cup vegetable broth or water

1 tsp cumin seeds

1 tsp turmeric powder

1 – 2 tsp fresh grated ginger root

Colorful & Anti-Inflammatory Protein Salad

I follow a few recipe blogs and recently, I’ve been getting so many messages about summer salads. So, for lunch today, I decided to make a protein-packed colorful salad. I tried to grab all colors possible – white egg whites,  red tomatoes and peppers, orange turmeric powder, yellow sprouts, green cucumbers, and blue blueberries. Pretty successful in terms of the rainbow : ) It’s also anti-inflammatory since I added turmeric powder and fennel seeds. Therefore, it’s a perfect meal for a flat belly diet or someone looked to debloat. I used it as a lunch salad, but the portion size is definitely big enough to turn it into a more dinner side dish if you wanted!

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The Recipe

Yields 1 Serving main dish or 2 Servings side dish

Serving Size: 1 salad bowl

2 cup sprouted mung beans – click here to learn how to sprout lentils and beans

1 cucumber, diced with skin

8 cherry or grape tomatoes, sliced

1/2 large red bell pepper, diced

2 large hard-boiled eggs, yolks removed (for vegan options, you can replace the egg whites with tofu or edamame or even enjoy the salad without any replacement to the eggs)

40 fresh blueberries

1 tsp turmeric powder

1 tsp fennel seeds

Salt as per needed (optional)

Grilled Kale and Sprouts Salad

For dinner today, I really wanted a simple kale salad but I personally don’t like raw kale so I decided to slightly grill them in my toaster/grill oven. It ended up tasting amazing! I highly recommend eating this on a day that you want a simply but protein-packed salad. The kiwi was probably my favorite part of this salad – I had never tried kiwi as the fruit base of a salad before but it really gave the salad a tangy, sweet taste and mixed really well with the cucumbers. Just a heads up, this salad is more on the “less-heavy” side so if you want a bigger salad for your meal, toss in a few more ingredients like tofu, tomatoes, bell peppers, etc. You can enjoy this salad as a lunch entree or as a side as well!

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The Recipe

Yields 1 Serving

Serving Size: 1 salad bowl

1 cup kale, washed and the stems removed

1 cup sprouted mung bean – click here to learn how to sprout lentils and beans

1 cucumber, diced

1 kiwi, diced

1 tbsp olive oil

1 wedge lemon or 1 tsp lemon juice

A pinch of salt (optional)

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Directions

1. Basically, this salad is really easy to make. I placed my washed kale on a piece of aluminum foil and placed the foil into my toaster and grilled the kale for about a minute and a half. The kale leaves become warm and soft, but not crispy so they tasted delicious. You can also grill them on an actual grill if you want them to be more crisp.

2. Mix together all of the ingredients in a bowl and serve!

How to Sprout Lentils and Beans

sprouted split green peas

Sprouting lentils and beans can be a bit time-consuming, but I’m going to show you an easy way to do so. Sprouted lentils and beans are considered to be a very healthy choice for both protein and carbohydrates in vegan and vegetarian diets. Once sprouted, they can be used for raw salads, batters, stirfrys, and even soups. Eating sprouted lentils and beans versus the whole lentil and bean has been proven through research to be more beneficial. In fact, many researchers say that sprouts are richer in digestible energy, vitamins, antioxidants, amino acids (proteins), and minerals in general. It has also been said that sprouts have an increased fibre content, making them an all-around stable food for vegans and vegetarians.

sprouted gazbanzo beans

sprouted soy beans

Directions to Sprout Any Lentil or Bean:

1. Soak your choice of dry lentil or bean in twice the amount of water for 8-12 hours. I usually soak them overnight. Make sure you cover the lentils or beans with either a dish or soak them inside a airtight container.

2. After 8-12 hours, you will see that the lentils or beans have grown in size since they have absorbed some of the water. Drain the remaining water from the container. Look for lentils or beans near the bottom of the container that have not grown in size and remove them since they won’t sprout (the reason this happens is because you have a high quantity of lentils or beans soaking and the water will reach the top most layers first).

3. Make sure there is no remaining water in the container (I use a strainer and place the strainer with the lentils or beans on top of a bowl so any excess water is easily captured).

4. Place the lentils or beans into a warm area, covered once again with a dish or in a container. Let them sit for about 24 hours, sometimes more depending on how warm the environment is.

5. By now, you should see the sprouts. You can let them sit for several more hours if you wish to have more sprouts. Once you are content with your sprouts, remove them from their container or bowl and rinse thoroughly. When rinsing, look for any sprouts that feel really sticky and remove them. These should be thrown away.

6. If you plan to use the sprouts right away, go for it! If not, lay them out on a large paper towel or dish towel on the kitchen counter for a few hours till they are completely dried.

7. Once they are dry, you can store them in the fridge for about a week until you are prepared to use them. When storing, make sure you use an airtight container (I use reusable plastic containers). Lay a paper towel on the bottom of the container, then pour in your spouters, and finally cover the top with another paper towel before closing the container. “Wrapping” them in paper towels helps to keep the sprouts fresh.

sprouted mung beans