If you haven’t tried sprouting lentils yet, this recipe will perhaps provide some incentive. Your soup will be easier to digest and cook much more quickly. Directions for sprouting can be found in an earlier post here. Do not substitute dry lentils as they will not cook thoroughly when you follow these directions.

Makes about a gallon of soup

2 quarts of sprouted lentils (1 quart dry)
3 large carrots, chopped fine
1 quart of chicken broth

Place these three ingredients in a large soup pot and bring to boil and immediately reduce the heat so that the mixture just simmers. Cover with a lid that is left cracked open. Now proceed by preparing the next mixture.

2 Tbsp ghee
2 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
2 large onions
3 leeks
4 stalks of celery
1 quart of water
1 can of organic classic coconut milk
2 tsp turmeric
2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp coriander
1/2 tsp dried mustard powder
2 Tbsp organic wheat-free tamari
1-2 sea salt to taste

Prepare the vegetables. For the leeks, cut off 2/3 of the leaves but don’t discard–wash well and then save them for adding to your next batch of broth. Take the leek “roots” and slit into quarters and wash well as dirt tends to get trapped inside. Chop the leeks, celery, and onions into 1-inch sized chunks. Melt the ghee in a separate soup pot (a smaller pot is fine) from the lentils and add the olive oil. Add the chopped vegetables and saute until softened for about 5 minutes stirring occasionally. Add the spices but not the tamari. Stir for a few minutes. Then add the water. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat so the mixture simmers. Leave this simmering until the vegetables are tender and easily pierced with a fork. Blend with an immersion blender until smooth. Add the coconut milk and tamari. Stir well. Now add this mixture to the big soup pot that contains the lentils. Add enough water to make a thick soup (not a stew). Taste and add salt as desired.