I cook vegan almost every night (even though I am not vegan by definition). You’ll never see me use frozen “protein” substitutes or anything made with soy isolates. I have realized overtime that in order for companies to make those types of products, they truly denature the protein you want to get into your body in the first place. Let’s take a look at Trader Joe’s Masala Burger, one of the cleanest burgers out there.
Ingredients: Potatoes, canola oil, carrots, green beans, water, bread crumbs (wheat flour, sugar, yeast, salt), bell peppers, onions, corn, salt, green peppers, sugar, ginger, cellulose gum, spices, citric acid, turmeric, mustard seeds.
There are three ingredients which are questionable in my mind even before realizing the product is obviously not organic…
- Cellulose gum – Made from indigestible wood that is added because they want to increase the fiber and lower the fat content in the burger, however, they are really adding it because it is cheaper to use than real food. Boo!
- Spices – What spices? Aren’t ginger, turmeric, and mustard seeds spices? Why are they not listing the rest? Luckily putting the word “spices” on a list means it can’t be a chemical made flavor. Thank goodness for that, but there could be other ingredients they are hiding and we’ll never know.
- Citric acid – This is not just lemon juice, like you would think – but this is a industrial man made product via corn (likely genetically modified) not citrus fruits and can make the body more acidic vs. alkaline. When this denatured preservative is consumed it makes the body primed for disease.
Now see why I don’t buy these types of products? – Even one of the best has questionable ingredients. You have a choice on what you bring into your home, what you cook and what you eat. Remember this every single day.
So how do I get my protein? Mainly through nuts, seeds, high quality whey and hemp protein powders, and by making soup like this!
My husband and I ate this Carrot Ginger Lentil soup 3 nights in a row last week. What? 3 days in a row? Yes it was that good. The sweetness of the carrots, married with the spiciness of the ginger and creaminess of the beans…so freaking yummy.
This soup is so supremely satisfying because each serving contains a serving of lentils which is packed with protein and fiber. This is my favorite part of this soup – because most carrot ginger soup recipes don’t really add a protein component or they add stuff that just isn’t necessary like butter, cheese, milk or cream. Did you know one serving of lentils has 18 grams of protein!? This is just crazy for a bean. Plus, beans are super duper cheap when you buy them from the dry bulk section of your grocery store.
This recipe is just perfect to make on a Sunday like today and to have throughout the week.
Hope you enjoy this as much as we did!
Food Babe's Protein Rich Carrot Ginger Lentil Soup
Prep Time:
30 mins
Cook Time:
45 mins
Total Time:
1 hr 15 mins
Ingredients:
- 1 ½ cups yellow split lentils
- 2 teaspoons coconut oil
- 1 yellow onion, diced
- 1 pound carrot, diced
- 2 teaspoons garlic cloves, minced
- 2 tablespoons ginger root, minced
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ⅛ cup maple syrup - grade B
- 1 bay leaf
- 4 cups vegetable broth (without yeast extract)
- 2 cups filtered water
- 1 pinch sea salt, to taste
- 1 pinch fresh ground pepper, to taste
Instructions:
- Soak yellow lentils for at least 8 hours or overnight.
- In a large pot, heat coconut oil on medium.
- Sautee onions and carrots for about 5 minutes.
- Next add ginger, garlic and cinnamon and cook another 2-3 minutes.
- Add all other ingredients including the soaked lentils, bring to a boil and then reduce heat and simmer for at least 30 minutes.
- Before pureeing make sure lentils are soft but still intact – if they are still hard, simmer for another 10 minutes or so.
- Remove bay leaf, then puree soup in batches using a blender or directly in the pot using a hand blender.
- Serve immediately.
Notes:
- It’s hearty and satisfying and goes perfectly with a nice raw green salad.
- ***Please buy all organic ingredients if possible***
Got questions about the recipe or about my food philosophy? Leave me a comment here or come visit me on my Facebook Fan Page. And if you know someone who could use a delicious meatless soup recipe with lots of protein, please share this with them. Who knows? They might make you some.
Cheers,
Food Babe
P.S. Why yes – don’t even think twice. Of course that is an organic candy cane I am holding 🙂
I made this tonight, but used red lentils instead of yellow. 25g of protein per serving according to the package. Very good! Nice on a cold & rainy fall day. Served with a tossed spinach salad. Thanks Babe!
Do u leave skin/peel on ginger?
Can u recommend clean vege stock?
Kylie, Australia : ) xx
P.s. Love ur work FB!
Hi Kylie – Yep, she leaves the skin on the ginger 🙂 As for veggie stock, look for organic without additives (or make your own).
It is impossible to find any brand of soup stock without natural flavor. There is one only brand which I could not find in Calif. Sorry I can’t remember, I saw it in TX and we travel a lot. Plain water is fine in this soup, it is so full,of flavor. When you need chicken stock, make it with the bones from the naked sustainable rotisserie chicken from the grocery.
This looks great. I have a bag of organic mixed lentils that needs using— they seem to be mostly the red ones . Will those work? On a shoestring budget at the moment 🙂
Walmart – “Sams chicken bone broth organic” no natural flavors or weird things!
I made this soup for the first time and love it! I can’t believe it’s so nutritious and it’s yummy too!! My husband and I are trying to eat cleaner. We have your smoothies every morning and can’t wait to try more recipes. Thank you Food Babe !
OMG! I am in love with this soup! Did you use 1.5 cups of dry lentils? I am wondering why my soup is far less orange. Pit is actually more brown. I would love the nutrition info. Has anyone figured it out!
I noticed that there were three ingredients pointed out in the masala veggie burgers as being bad. However, you didn’t point out the Canola oil. In a different host, you cite all the dangers of using Canola oil
I luv this! This is the best recipe….I find myself craving it! It is soooo good for you!
Here is a tip you might want to try: I make home made pizza dough using cauliflower and used the squeezed juice from the cauliflower for my vegetable stock for this soup. I waste nothing!
I just cooked this for myself and my mother and it is tops!
Love it !!!
I’ll make one soon .
Thanks
Do you think I can do this same exact recipe but use butternut squash instead of carrots?
The pot in the photo (with the onions in it), given the deep scratches and color, appears to be aluminum. Given all of your amazing work on eating and cooking with natural, healthy ingredients, I certainly hope you aren’t cooking with aluminum! I’m assuming you know better and that the pot is not aluminum, but I just want to be sure.
That seems to be a stainless steel pot. Is it better that Al?
Yes, stainless and cast iron are fine to cook with. Aluminum has been linked to Alzheimer’s, and aluminum cookware leeches aluminum into the foods prepared with it.
That pot had heavy scratches/gouges in the bottom of it, which is relatively easy to do with aluminum, but virtually impossible to do with stainless. Thus my previous question.
Hi, thanks for the recipe. I have noticed lately that there is not an option to save recipes to pinterest. Any reason why and can you add it back?
Jennifer if you click on the green “share this” button you can save it on Pinterest.
The first two ingredients are even more alarming. Potatoes are a no-no unless they are organic. And there is no canola oil today that is not GMO!
This soup is a WINNER!!!! I just made it!!! Thanks so much for the recipe!
I added a bit of cayenne! Family loved !
I’ve made a simple version of this for years and don’t see any need for all the steps if you are going to blend it at the end! I just roughly chop the carrots & onions (skip sauteing step) and mix with all the other ingredients (except lemon juice) in a pot & simmer till carrots are tender. The immersion blender takes care of every chunk, no matter how carefully done! This is my quick & easy go-to soup, but it needs to be quick & easy!
I am cooking this soup right NOW! It smells SOOOOOooooo GOOOOOoooood!
Can’t wait to try it. Also got “the FOOD BABE way”.
What an eye opener!! I do not want to buy “frankinfood” EVER AGAIN!