LENTILS “THE POOR MAN’S MEAT” - Carolina Total Wellness (2024)

Lentils are known to be one of the most nutritious plant based proteins. Lentils date back to 8000 B.C where it was found on the banks of the Euphrates River, what is now northern Syria. There are many different preparation of lentils throughout the Middle East as well as the rest of the world. Each region adds part of its heritage where the lentil meal becomes richer and more flavorful.Lentils are part of the legume family. Most of world’s lentil production comes from India and Canada. Lentils can lower cholesterol, and protect against diabetes and colon cancer. They are known as “Poor Man’s Meat”, since they are rich in nutrients and low in price. 1 cup of lentils provides 16 grams of fiber, 18 grams of protein, 38 mg Calcium, 40 grams of carbohydrates, 6.6 grams of iron , 71 mg of Magnesium and 0 gram fat. Since they are high in net carbs, they need to be avoided in a strict keto diet. With their low glycemic index, they are a good nutritional source for diabetics. There are brown, green and red lentils. There are also those that are in between these colors. Here is one kind of Turkish recipe for red lentil soup.

TURKISH RED LENTIL SOUP

INGREDIENTS:

2 cups red lentils
6-7 cups vegetable or meat stock
1 medium onion
1 medium carrot
1 tablespoon pepper/tomato paste
2 tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon pepper flakes
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoon dried mint
Salt to taste
Lemon juice

Wash the lentils and place in a pot. Slice the onions and carrots into small pieces and place in the pot with lentils. Add stock and cook on medium heat until it boils. When it starts to boil add the paste and continue to cook for another 30-40minutes on low heat. Once all the ingredients are well cooked, use a hand blender to hom*ogenize the soup.

Melt the butter or ghee in a small skillet, then add mint and pepper flakes. Stir for a minute then add to the soup and boil it for another 2 minutes. Add salt to taste. It is now ready to be served with lemon juice. Afiyet olsun!

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Didem Miraloglu, MD, MS