This Red Lentil Curry Soup Is Heart-Warming And Relieves Inflammation

Last updated on 11 APR 2016

To help maintain your 20/20 vision, look no further than the vibrant carrot, which contains both vitamin A and beta-carotene, an antioxidant. These two not only promote good eyesight, but also help protect your body from ultraviolet rays, prevent heart disease and strokes, act as a poultice to prevent infections, and retain youthful skin.

One of the most popular ingredients in Asian cuisine, ginger is known for its distinct flavor and  many health benefits. This yellow root helps soothe your intestinal tract and treat stomach pain, vomiting, gas, and diarrhea discomfort. What’s more, ginger is said to be effective in preventing nausea, and relieving motion and morning sickness.

Just as carrots, sweet potatoes contain vitamin A and beta-carotene. This combination can also support your immune system, fight cell-damaging free radicals, and even lessen your risk for heart disease and cancer.

Spices have been used to add flavor to foods and for medicinal purposes for thousands of years. In this recipe, we use one with immense benefits: turmeric powder. This spice’s primary pharmacological agent, curcumin, has been proven to provide relief for joint pain and inflammation, lower cholesterol, prevent Alzheimer’s disease and various cancers, and enhance liver function.

On some days, a bowl of warm soup can soothe your senses and bring comfort. This Vegetable Lentil Soup recipe from Mercola.com reader, Marina Korsakova-Kreyn, does just that by providing a harmonious blend of different vegetables and spices for a mouth-watering experience.

Red Lentil Vegetable Curry Soup

Serves: 20
Prep and cook time: 2 hours

Ingredients:

• 3 cups of red lentils
• 1 large onion
• 5 medium carrots
• 5 medium potatoes
• 1 large sweet potato
• Fresh ginger root, 1 inch long
• 4 medium cloves of garlic
• 1 teaspoon curry powder
• 1 teaspoon turmeric
• Salt and cayenne pepper, to taste
• Optional: 1 tablespoon of dry seaweed mix

Instructions:

1. Boil 3 quarts of filtered water in an 8-quart pot.
2. Add lentils.
3. Add all vegetables (washed, peeled and cut) to the boiling water.
4. Add ginger (peeled but uncut) and 3 cloves of garlic.
5. Add turmeric, curry powder, and salt and cayenne pepper to taste.
6. Cook vegetables, ginger, and garlic until ready for about 30 minutes. Use a ladle to take them out on a big plate, and let them cool for about 20 minutes (while lentils continue simmering).
7. Blend cooled vegetables, ginger, and garlic in batches with generous amount of filtered water.
8. Return to pot, put heat to simmer and cook till lentils are soft.
9. Add finely minced clove of garlic (add salt if needed).

Note: If using seaweed, reconstitute them in 2 cups of boiling water, let them cool, and then blend along with vegetables.

This article was originally published on Mercola.com. It is republished here with permission.

About Sara Ding

Sara Ding is the founder of Juicing-for-Health.com. She is a certified Wellness Health Coach, Nutritional Consultant and a Detox Specialist. She helps busy men and women identify their health issues at the root cause, in order to eliminate the problems for optimum physical/mental health and wellbeing.

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