Lentil potage

Lentil potage is just a thick soup rich in vegetable protein.

Lentil potage.

Ingredients

  • 1/2 onion coarsely chopped
  • 1 green pepper
  • 1 whole bulb of garlic
  • 1 TBSP paprika or 4 peppadews or 1 chili
  • 1 TBSP of freshly ground cumin
  • 3 very ripe tomatoes
  • A large handful of cilantro (green coriander)
  • Another handful of parsley
  • 1 cup of washed lentils, picked for stones
  • Root vegetables such as carrots, new potatoes or sweet potatoes
  • Other vegetables such a butternut and zucchini
  • Large pile of fresh greens such as spinach, kale and rocket
  • 1 diced kassler chop

Go for it

The sofrito

Basic sofrito for lentil potage.
  1. Gently fry the onion in butter until it has caramelized.
  2. Deseed the peppers and the chili if you are using one.
  3. Add the tomatoes, peppers, cilantro, garlic and spices to the onion and simmer for five minutes.

Lentil potage

  1. Add the lentils and 1 cup of water, more if you prefer a thinner potage.
  2. Add the rest of the vegetables and the optional meat.
  3. Ideally pressure cook for 15 minutes, just because it saves you time, and electricity.
  4. Or 30 minutes in a large pot.
  5. Add the greens and parsley and continue to simmer for another five minutes. Add more water to gain the consistency you like.

Lentil potage can equally be enjoyed by a meat lover by adding a pork sausage or kassler chop.

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Anti-nutrients

Some folk are concerned about the anti-nutrients such as phytates in dried legumes. Frankly it doesn't worry me at all. You could easily substitute the lentil potage with say green beans, scarlet runners or favas which have less of these pesky substances.

To completely avoid anti-nutrients you have to go without many excellent foods like dried beans, nuts and whole grains that have a proven record of improving our well-being. Can you imagine giving up on spinach and kale?

But we do generally try to choose green legumes over those that have been dried, given the option.

I've never seen green lentils, nor think it necessary to avoid all anti-nutrients. An alimentary canal with a normal complement of bugs in the microbiome handles them for the majority of us with ease.

  1. Bernard Preston
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