If you have been following my global culinary journey, you must have noticed that I am a big fan of simple homemade healthy diets.
A healthy diet, in my opinion, should be made with nutrient-rich ingredients derived from all major food groups and preferably include whole grains, lean proteins, vegetables, healthy fats, and fruits.
A healthy eating habit can also mean replacing food with trans fats, sugar, and added salt with more nutritious options.
There are countless benefits of eating a healthy diet including better heart health, reduced risk of cancer when you eat foods with antioxidants, better mood, strong bones and teeth, improved memory, better management of conditions such as diabetes, and more importantly weight loss or better weight management.
To get you started on healthy eating here is a simple and quick way to make lentil and spiced carrot soup recipe.
Healthy Lentil and Spiced Carrot Soup
This is a spicy and delicious healthy soup that is full of iron and low in fat. It is quick to make too. You can make it in less than 30 minutes or in a slow cooker if you prefer.
Ingredients
- 600 grams of coarsely grated carrots
- 140 grams of split red lentils
- 2 tablespoons of cumin seeds
- 11 hot vegetable stock
- A pinch of chili flakes
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- Naan bread and plain yogurt to serve
Cooking Directions
Start by dry-frying the cumin seeds with a pinch of chili flakes on a large saucepan for around 1 minute until they release a nice aroma.
Set aside half of the fried cumin seeds then add to the remaining mix the grated carrots, olive oil, split red lentils, vegetable stock, and milk. Allow the mixture to boil for a few minutes. Simmer for 15 minutes as the lentils swell and soften.
Pour the soup into a blender or food processor and whizz it until smooth. You can leave it chunky if you like it that way.
Finally, season the soup to taste and complete the process with a touch of plain yogurt and a sprinkle of the remaining fried lentils. You can serve the soup with warm naan bread for the perfect finish.
Additional Tips
You can save time by putting all your ingredients in a soup maker and whizzing them into a perfect and delicious healthy soup with little effort.
You can also use a slow cooker to make the soup simply by putting half of the cumin seeds, oil, lentils, carrots, and vegetables in the cooker.
Cook on high for up to 3 hours or until the lentils are tender. Stir the milk and mix with the soup in a blender until it is as chunky or smooth as you like. If you prefer to make it dairy-free, you can use reduced-fat coconut milk as an alternative to milk.
I regularly publish more healthy diet recipes on my Cedric Okiorina website. Feel free to browse through different recipes from different parts of the world including New Zealand, Australia, and Asia on my website.