Today Bojica sent us a super food: lentils. A goodness of the forest fruit family, which grows well in our lands. In the north of the country, around Rediul de Sus, Fălești, we even have a millionaire farmer, who made his fortune on plantations of lentils, walnuts, ginseng, soy, mustard, etc.
There are several varieties, but only three are the main ones: red (orange), green and brown lentils. Red lentils are the most used because they cook faster. It turns out that lentils are loved by both adults and children. I think I have an explanation too. Of all legumes, lentils are the easiest to digest and do not swell when well cooked. Furthermore, the texture of lentils is much more pleasant than that of beans or chickpeas. Lentils have another property, they lend very easily the flavor of the spices with which they are cooked and turn into super finger-licking creams. Did you know that, of all legumes, lentils are the most recommended by nutritionists if you want to lose a few pounds? It is a source of soluble fiber, that is, soluble. Their advantage is that they digest so well that they turn into a kind of gel in the digestive tract, bind cholesterol, clean the intestines well and evacuate easily, relieving constipation or hemorrhoids.
In this recipe, balsamic tomato stew is the icing on the cake. Feel free to omit the shrimp, replace it with chicken if you wish. Just don’t give up on the stew, even if you have to buy a bottle of balsamic vinegar – it’s still a good addition in the kitchen.
By the way, if ingredients like ginger and turmeric scare you, I encourage you to open the door to them in the kitchen too. I’d like to think that once you try these super foods, you’ll always include them in your recipes. If the ginger gives a spicy and pleasant flavor, the turmeric will color your soup very pleasantly yellow. By the way, the natural turmeric dye can also be used to dye dough for bread, cookies or Easter eggs. So be careful not to put it on your clothes and if you see these little roots in the market, definitely buy them.
Ingredients:
LENTIL SOUP:
- 400 g of lentils
- 2 carrots
- 1 stalk of leek
- 1 parsnip root
- 1 ginger root
- 1 turmeric root
- curry
TOMATO STEW:
- 8-10 cherry tomatoes
- 1 bell pepper
- 1 onion
- 1 chilli
- balsamic vinegar
SHRIMP:
- 500 g of shrimp
- 6-8 cloves of garlic
- paprika
1. Wash the lentils well and put them in a saucepan over medium heat. Make sure it has enough water so it doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pan. Lentils cook quite quickly, so keep an eye on them and stir them periodically.
2. Meanwhile, wash all the vegetables well. Slice the leek, carrot, parsnip, ginger and turmeric. Put them in a pan with boiling oil. Leave on medium heat, under the lid, until all the vegetables are soft.
3. Brown the diced onion and pepper in another pan, then add the whole cherry tomatoes, cook them over high heat for about 5 minutes and add the balsamic vinegar. Stir constantly to cook the tomatoes well, but not to burn the balsamic vinegar. Turn off the heat when you see that the skin begins to peel. Transfer the stew to a bowl and return the pan to the heat.
4. Chop the chewed garlic and chew it in boiling oil. Add the prawns and paprika.
Cook until the shrimp turn orange, but don’t overcook them as they become chewy.
5. Put the boiled lentils in a blender, along with the mixture of leeks, carrots, parsnips, ginger and turmeric. Salt, pepper and add the curry, mix well to homogenize.
6. Spread the lentil cream on the plates, garnish with a little balsamic tomato sauce and some shrimp.
My mouth is watering just describing this recipe because it’s so delicious.
Serve with toast, but you can also do without it, because the plate is full of carbohydrates.