Featured Ayurvedic Recipe: Italian-Style Lentil Soup
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Italian-Style Lentil Soup
This recipe is an adaptation from my grandmother’s recipe.
Ingredients:
1 cup lentils
1-2 tablespoons oil
1 bay leaf
6 cups water
1 small onion, diced
1 small carrot, sliced
1 tsp salt
3/4 cup soup pasta like ditalini, elbows, small shells, cavatelli
Directions:
Wash lentils and set aside. You can also soak your lentils for 4-6 hours before cooking to improve their digestibility.
1. Heat pot over medium heat and add oil until shimmering. Then add the onion and carrots. Sauté until onions are caramelized about 8-10 minutes.
2. Add the washed lentils, salt, bay leaf and water to the pot, turn heat to high and bring to boil. Cover with a slight vent to allow steam to escape. Lower heat to simmer and cook for 45-55 minutes or until the lentils are soft. Watch the water level throughout the cooking process and add more if needed.
3. In another pot, bring water to boil over high heat. Once the water starts boiling, add a pinch or two of salt and add the pasta. Cook according to package directions and strain once it reaches al dente (“to the teeth”) texture.
4. Add a scoop of pasta to a bowl and pour lentil soup over noodles.
Doshic Considerations
This Ayurvedic Italian-Style Lentil Soup recipe can be tailored to any dosha by following the recommendations listed below.
Vata should use sesame oil (plain and not toasted), olive oil or ghee; and use daal instead of lentils and choose between mung, tur or urad; substitute rice or quinoa for pasta, but occasionally vata can have with pasta.
Pitta should use olive oil, sunflower oil or ghee; use brown lentils, green lentils or puy/french lentils; and only use ½ tsp of salt.
Kapha should use sunflower oil, almond oil or ghee; use brown lentils, green lentils or puy/french lentils; substitute the pasta for barley, buckwheat or basmati rice; and use ¼ tsp of salt or less.
