This Sesame Lentil Soup is so incredibly tasty; I promise you won’t be able to stop eating it! It has a whole different flavor palate than your typical lentil soup, with the yummy Asian flavors. The combination of the pureed roasted peppers mixed with toasted sesame is simply outstanding!
This year is off to a great start! We had the privilege of spending the first day and night of the New Year with Paloma, Severin, Jill and Beto. It was a short but sweet visit. After our house guests left, Robby and I decided to go through the entire house including all the cupboards and drawers. We managed to get rid of a number of boxes full of unneeded items!
We love to get rid of anything we aren’t using. Clutter is stagnant energy and actually weighs on your conscious as well as it keeps new things from coming into your life. Have you ever had a closet or a drawer that was a complete disaster and every time you walk by it you think to yourself “I have got to clean that closet out” but you don’t because it seems so overwhelming? Clutter is the manifestation of stuck energy and the feeling just gets worse until you finally break down and address it!
Some time ago I had a bunch of clothes that I never wore and I just could not get myself to let go of them. One day I went crazy and threw anything I hadn’t worn in two years into a few boxes. I brought them to the local thrift store and within one week a friend of mine who had a clothing line called to tell me she was sending me two huge boxes full of clothes. I was so completely shocked and excited! This has happened so many times in my life that I now know it to be true that when you let go of the old it opens the door for the new. So, get out those boxes and purge your clutter!
I use to make this soup at my restaurant and it was always a big hit! In the original recipe, I added Parmesan cheese, which is outstanding! I decided to keep this one vegan with the option to add Parmesan if you want. It might sound weird to add cheese to an Asian inspired soup but it’s phenomenal!
I like this with a crisp cold Sake or an Asian beer such as an Asahi or Sapporo. It’s also great with a Riesling, Pinot Gris, white Rioja, or Sauvignon Blanc.
Sesame Lentil Soup with Pureed Roasted Red Bell Peppers
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 Cups Dried Brown Lentils or green, not French green
- 10 Cups Filtered Water
- 4 Red Bell Peppers - roasted - deseed - destemmed - pureed
- 1/2 Cup + 3 Tablespoons Toasted Sesame Oil
- 1/2 White Onion - diced
- 4 Carrots - sliced
- 3 Cloves Garlic - minced
- 1/4 Cup Dry White Wine
- 1/4 Cup Brown Rice Vinegar
- 1/3 Cup + 2 Teaspoon Tamari Sauce
- 1 Tablespoon Sea Salt - or to taste
- 2 Teaspoons Hot Chili Sauce like Sriracha Optional
- 1 Cup Fresh or Frozen Corn
- 1/4 Cup Toasted Sesame Seeds - for sprinkling on top Optional
Garnish options
- Sesame seed
- Green Onions
- Chives
- Parmesan or Asiago cheese
Instructions
Roasted Peppers
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Roast peppers on the stovetop over medium-high heat. A gas stove works the best but it will work fine on an electric stove.
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Char the peppers on all sides turning with a pair of tongs.
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When good and charred, steam them for 10 minutes in a covered dish or a paper bag rolled shut to hold in the steam.
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Take a paper towel and rub off the char. It’s ok to leave a little of the char.
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De-stem, de-seed and remove skins of bell peppers then puree in a food processor.
Soup
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While peppers are roasting, thinly slice the carrots, dice the onion and add to a sauté pan along with 2 tablespoons sesame oil.
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Next, mince the garlic and add to onions. Sauté on medium heat for about 6 minutes, cover for 6 more.
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Add the wine and cook until wine is reduced to a syrup.
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Add water and lentils to the carrots, bring to a boil and turn down to a simmer (in between low and medium-low) for 25 - 35 minutes. Or until lentils are soft.
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While lentils are cooking, pour the pureed peppers into a medium-sized bowl along with sesame oil, brown rice vinegar, tamari, sea salt and hot sauce if using. Set aside until lentils are finished cooking and then add to lentils.
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Cook for 10 more minutes then add the corn and cook for a few more minutes to heat up the corn.
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In a sauté pan add sesame seeds and stir over medium heat until golden. (optional)
Health benefits:
Lentils have extremely high levels of soluble fiber and a good amount of insoluble fiber. They have cholesterol-lowering fiber which helps stabilize blood sugar levels giving you a steady stream of energy. A half-cup provides about a third of the daily requirements. Not only is the fiber good for your heart, the amount of folate and magnesium is very beneficial for cardiovascular health. Lentils provide a steady stream of glucose to your brain. Glucose is a sugar and a key source of energy for the cells in the body and it is the only fuel your brain can use. The high fiber regulates the release of the glucose, providing a steady stream of fuel that powers your brain cells and is a key component in keeping your brain healthy. Lentils are loaded with an impressive amount of blood-fortifying iron and when paired with food containing vitamin C, the iron is enhanced, which in turn increase your energy. They are truly a nutritional fountain of youth. Lentils originated in Southwestern Asia along the Indus River have been eaten for over 8000 years. years.
Bell Peppers are matured green bell peppers and have more nutrition as they mature. They are super high in vitamin A which helps to support healthy eyesight, especially night vision and are extremely high in vitamin C, so much so they have twice as much as an orange which makes it really good for the skin. Red peppers are one of the highest veggies in lycopene and have been successfully tested in the prevention of many cancers. They have a good source of the antioxidant mineral manganese and B-complex and vitamin E. They help reduce ‘bad’ cholesterol, helps controls diabetes and helps reduce pain. They are also a good source of fiber, folate, vitamin K, molybdenum and manganese.
