Vegetarian Yellow Split Peas with Ginger and Cumin (Dal)

Dal is an Indian lentil stew that is delicious for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. Dal has an extensive history as a staple food in Indian and South Asian diets. I love dal as a comforting and hearty stew with lots of warming spices. It works well as a main course for breakfast or a side dish for lunch or dinner along with basmati or cauliflower rice.

Dal also has some amazing health benefits! The split peas are a heart healthy source of fiber and the spices (turmeric, ginger, cumin, coriander, and fennel) are anti-inflammatory and support healthy digestion.

I hope you enjoy my take on this wonderful dish!

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Serves 4-6

  • 1 cup yellow split peas
  • 5 cups water
  • 2 tsp turmeric powder
  • 1 carrot, chopped
  • 2 small red potatoes, chopped
  • 1 small yellow onion, chopped
  • 1 Tbs organic unrefined coconut oil
  • 1 tsp ground cumin
  • 2 tsp ground coriander
  • 1 tsp salt
  • ½ tsp black pepper
  • 1 tsp whole cumin seeds
  • 1 tsp whole fennel seeds
  • 1 inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and minced
  • 3 handfuls of baby spinach
  • 1 cup cilantro, chopped
  • 2 small tomatoes, diced
  • Juice of ½ lemon

Bring the water, split peas, and turmeric to a boil in a large stock pot. Once it’s come to a rolling boil, turn down the heat and cover. Allow the split peas to simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until they are soft but not falling apart.

In the mean time, heat the oil in a large pan on medium heat. Sauté the onion, cumin seed, fennel seed, and ginger for 5 minutes or until the onion is soft and translucent. Add the potato and carrot, salt and pepper, ground spices, and the onion/spice mixture to the pot of lentils and simmer 20 minutes more. Add the spinach and cook about 5 minutes until the spinach is wilted. Turn off the heat and stir in the lemon juice. Garnish each serving with chopped tomatoes and cilantro, and serve warm.

Creamy Paleo Butternut Squash Soup

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This dairy-free Paleo butternut squash soup gets it’s creaminess from coconut milk. This soup is slightly sweet and full of flavor. It’s one of my favorite comfort foods and it’s super easy to make. Butternut squash is a great source  of Beta-carotene and Vitamin C, nutrients that are important for immune function and healthy skin. Butternut squash also contains Vitamin B6, Magnesium, and Calcium, which are beneficial for promoting a calm, relaxed mood.

Serves 4-5

  • 1 butternut squash, peeled, seeds removed, and chopped into 1 inch pieces
  • 1 apple, peeled, seeds removed, and chopped into 1/2 inch pieces
  • 1 onion, diced
  • 5 cloves garlic, minced
  • 4 tablespoons unrefined coconut oil
  • 1 quart chicken stock or bone broth
  • 1 cup coconut milk
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
  • 4 tablespoons fresh sage, chopped finely
  • salt and pepper to taste

Heat the coconut oil in a large stock pot over medium low heat. Sauté the squash for 10 minutes, or until slightly softened, stirring occasionally to prevent it from burning. Add the onion and apple, and cook for about 5 more minutes. Then add the garlic and cook 2 minutes more. Pour in the stock or broth and bring it to a boil, before reducing the stove temperature to allow the soup to simmer for 5-10 more minutes. When the apple and squash are tender, add the spices and coconut milk and remove the soup from heat. Blend the mixture using an immersion hand blender, or if using a tabletop jar blender, allow the soup to cool slightly before carefully transferring to the blender. Serve warm.

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Spicy Black Bean Soup

blackbeansThis delicious black bean soup has just enough of a kick to warm you up on a cold night. Black beans contain lots of healthy fiber and protein as well as a wide array of vitamins and minerals like Folate, Vitamin B1, Magnesium, and Iron.

Serves 4-5

Note: If you have leftover soup try freezing it in a glass mason jar. Make sure to leave about 1 inch of airspace at the top to help prevent the glass jar from breaking during freezing.

 

  • 2 cups dry black turtle beans
  • 4 cups water + extra for soaking beans
  • 1 quart chicken broth
  • 2 cups tomatoes, diced
  • 2 Tbs coconut oil
  • 1 onion, diced
  • 2 stalks celery, diced
  • 2 carrots, diced
  • 1/2 green bell pepper, diced
  • 6 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
  • 1 Tbs cumin powder
  • 2 tsp coriander powder
  • 1/8 tsp cayenne powder
  • 1/2 tsp allspice powder
  • 2 bay leaves
  • juice of 1/2 lime
  • 1 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
  • salt and pepper to taste

Soak beans in a large bowl with enough water to fully cover for 8-24 hours. Drain and rinse the beans. Place beans and 4 cups of cold water in a large stock pot and bring to a boil. Simmer, covered, for 30 minutes or until beans begin to soften. Add the broth, tomatoes, and spices (except for salt and pepper) and simmer for 30 more minutes. Meanwhile, melt the coconut oil over medium heat in a large skillet. Saute the onion, celery, carrot, and bell pepper for 5-7 minutes until vegetables start to soften and onion becomes translucent, stirring occasionally. Add the garlic and cook 2 more minutes, then remove from heat. Add the veggies to the beans and simmer for 10 minutes. Add the salt, pepper, cilantro, and lime juice. Discard the bay leaves. Try serving with sliced avocado or small amount of organic sour cream.