comforting french lentil soup

With the cold winter weather on the east coast I thought it would be appropriate to share my favorite lentil soup recipe. Like most soups, this one is much better the next day, so much so that I always make it a day in advance. I also thought it would be a good time to weigh in on what I think about the popular Paleo/Whole30 diet since those diets do not allow you to eat beans or legumes (and therefore lentils).

I’ll start off by saying there are a lot of good “food rules” in the Paleo diet. Eliminating processed grains, sugar and dairy, and eating more vegetables will make anyone feel and look better! However, there are also some “rules” I do not agree with, the biggest one being the consumption of large amounts of animal products. It is scientifically proven that eating large amounts of animal products increases your IGF-1 hormone (insulin-like growth factor 1) which in turn increases your risk of cancer. This is a hormone that we have a lot of when we are children, because it helps us grow! As we age, it naturally decreases which is healthy and normal. Elevated levels in adults have been shown to promote the growth, proliferation and spread of cancer cells.

While there is no way of knowing for sure what Paleolithic people ate, we do know they did not have refrigerators to keep meat fresh for long periods of time. If they hunted and killed an animal in warmer weather, they would have had to consume it all immediately; and chances are it would be quite some time before they were able to hunt down another animal. In other words, eating meat at every meal would not have been an option.

Do I eat animal protein? Yes, but in very limited moderation. Occasionally, my husband and I will split a grass fed ribeye, roast a free-range chicken, eat eggs from pastured chickens, and we certainly eat fresh wild sockeye in the summer. However, it is also worth mentioning humans do not need any animal protein to survive as long as there is vitamin B-12 supplementation. (It is thought that early humans obtained B-12 (a bacteria) from the dirt on the food they were eating or their hands. After modern sewage systems were invented and humans adopted a cleaner lifestyle, vegans were not receiving enough B-12 to stay healthy without supplementation.) Plants have all the amino acids our bodies need to function properly. Although there are few single complete plant proteins (meaning they contain all 9 essential amino acids), as long as we eat a variety of plant proteins, there is absolutely no need to worry if we are consuming enough of any certain amino acid. One plant may be high in amino acid lysine but lacking in amino acid methionine while another plant may be high in methionine but low in lysine.

While we’re on the topic of plant protein, the other Paleo “food rule” that I do not agree with is the elimination of beans, legumes, whole grains and grain-like seeds (like quinoa) simply because of their phytic acid content. Contradictory to this rule, you are however, allowed to eat nuts on the Paleo diet which also contain phytic acid (huh?). If you are not familiar with phytic acid, it is a naturally occurring “preservative” if you will that can interfere with the absorption of nutrients during digestion. There is an easy way to solve this problem, which is an ancient practice, and only recently forgotten. Soaking beans, legumes, grains, seeds and nuts overnight in water sparks the sprouting process which neutralizes the phytic acid!

So if we can solve the issue of phytic acid, why not enjoy the cancer fighting, blood sugar lowering, stroke reducing power of beans and legumes? The high fiber content in lentils prevents blood sugar levels from rising rapidly after a meal as well as lowering cholesterol levels. This recipe calls for French lentils, which I love because they don’t become mushy when cooked and they are wonderfully flavorful. Remember to soak them overnight and rinse them well! This also reduces their cooking time which is a plus!

french lentil soup
adapted from honest fare
serves 4

ingredients

2 cups french lentils, *soaked overnight, drained and rinsed
5 carrots, sliced 1/4 inch thick
1 15-ounce can of diced tomatoes, no salt added (BPA-free can)
1 small yellow onion, chopped (half if large)
2 cloves garlic, minced
6 cups filtered water (8 cups if you do not soak your lentils)
2 tablespoons extra virgin first cold pressed olive oil
1 tablespoon dried tarragon
1 teaspoon paprika
few sprigs of fresh thyme
few sprigs of fresh oregano
2 bay leaves
2 tablespoons **organic worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons **organic miso paste dissolved in hot water
1 tablespoon black peppercorn balls (ONLY if making herb packet, omit otherwise)

directions

rinse carrots and cut diagonally about 1/4 inch thick. chop onion. peel and mince garlic. dice half your fresh herbs (reserve other half for herb packet). add oil to large 5 quart pot over medium heat. sauté onions and carrots until they begin to soften. add tomatoes, garlic, tarragon, paprika and diced herbs. stir and cook covered for a few minutes. then add water, worcestershire sauce and lentils. cover and bring to a boil.

while soup heats to a boil, you can prepare your seasoning packet. double two layers of cheese cloth large enough to contain herbs. place 2 bay leaves, black peppercorn balls and remaining sprigs of fresh herbs in the center of the cloth and tie up with baking twine like a tight little package.

once soup is boiling, uncover and reduce heat to a simmer. ladle a small amount of hot broth into a small bowl or cup and stir miso paste into it until it dissolves. add the miso paste liquid to pot and stir. add herb packet to pot and cook covered for 30-40 minutes or until lentils are tender but not mushy. if you do not soak your lentils, it may take up to an hour.

season with salt and pepper to taste. i have found this soup needs barely any salt because of the salty miso and worcestershire sauce.

*soaking lentils overnight in filtered water sparks the sprouting process which neutralizes natural phytic acid (which can interfere with absorption of nutrients). be sure to discard the soaking water and rinse lentils to remove phytic acid residue.

**buying organic soy products is important to avoid GMO’s (genetically modified organisms)