Monday, May 2, 2011

Meatless Monday

Meatless Monday is actually a global movement to reduce the consumption of meat at least one day a week for "personal health and the health of the planet".

Lentils or dal are staples in the Arab and Indian diets and lentil soup is a favorite in both cultures.

There are many versions but this recipe was given to me by my friend Renee whose mother-in-law is Syrian.

Add to a large pot 12 cups of water, 1-1/2 cups of orange lentils, 2 onions chopped, 4 potatoes cubed, 4 carrots sliced, 4 bouillon cubes (I actually use 3 TBS of a natural vege broth extract). Boil on high heat for 40 minutes then reduce heat and simmer until desired consistency. Add cumin powder and black pepper to taste.

It is normally served with fried pita bread and a squeeze of lemon juice.

As they say in Arabic "SAHTAIN!" which means "to your health".

Soup is a lot like a family. Each ingredient enhances the others; each batch has its own characteristics; and it needs time to simmer to reach full flavor.
Marge Kennedy

Wishing you health and happiness! Peace & blessings, Tammy

21 comments:

the old white house said...

This sounds delicious Tammy! I am going to have to give it a try. I will be honest though, I have always used canned beans, so now you have me stepping out of my recipe comfort zone. t. xoxo

the old white house said...

This would have been a great link for project genesis... I have never heard of Meatless Monday before. What a great movement. xoxoxoox

summersundays-jw said...

Looks yummy! I had a Spanish baked potato at our local natural foods store so I did my part for lunch. What a great movement! Jan

Anonymous said...

SAHTAIN to you, also. Wht a delightful and tasty soup. I shall have to give it a try!

Snowed and cold last night (20 degrees upon awakening and only 34 now), but the weather people are PROMISING warm weather from here on out. I should say it is about time!

Hope your day is sweet, like you.

Hugs
Jan

Ana said...

Yum Tammy, sounds delish. I love lentil soup, I use the brown lentil though to make mine...After I cook the lentils in water I add, consome, tomato sauce and oregano...Yummo, I love it...When I serve it I top it off with some banana, just like my great-grandmother use to make...Delish!!! Thanks for sharing your recipe. Have a wonderful new week my friend.

Hugs and Kisses,
♥Ana

Rizzi said...

YOUR SOUP SOUNDS DELICIOUS, I LOVE HOMEMADE SOUP. MY MOM MADE SOUP ALL THE TIME, WELL, WITH 7 KIDS..... IT WAS STRETCHED A LONG WAY. HAVE A NICE DAY. :)
RIZZI

Karen said...

Sounds delicious. We eat lots of meatless meals.

Colleen - the AmAzINg Mrs. B said...

Oh...since becoming a vegetarian and being meatless all.the.time I am always looking for good recipes and this sounds amazing! Especially with the addition of the lemons and the pita bread> Yum-OOOO!

crochet lady said...

Looks good Tammy. I've never really cooked with lentils, but have been wanting to give it a try.

Simple Home said...

I really love lentils, and this sounds delicious. My husband doesn't eat meat at all, and I'm not much of a meat eater myself, so even as large as our family is, we don't consume too much of it around here. After 25 years of marriage, I just Don't think of meat for supper. We're contributing and I didn't even know it!
Have a wonderful week dear Tammy :-)
Blessings,
Marcia

Vicki Boster said...

Another great recipe from you my friend! This could easily be a staple for me - it looks divine - soup is my favorite!

I hope all is well for you way over there~~

Vicki

ps - great music!

Hearts Turned said...

Yum! I made your lentil soup a couple of weeks ago, and it's a new family favorite! This one looks just as good--love your recipes, Tammy!

Hope you're having a beautiful day, dear friend...

Julie

Caterina Giglio said...

comfort food in any nationality is YUM and this looks so delicious! enjoy your meatless monday... xxx

Draffin Bears said...

Hi Tammy,

I might need to make our house meatless Monday.
thanks for sharing the recipe, the soup looks great.

Happy week
Hugs
Carolyn

Diane said...

I've never heard that quote before, Tammy. I'll have to think about it. My family is mostly in a stew! Diane

Pam said...

Recipe sounds delicious and the soup looks wonderful. Have a great week.

A Fanciful Life said...

Hi Tammy,
What a great recipe. I love soup and eat lots of it in cold weather. It's just such a healthy food to make. There is nothing like a good bowl of soup with some yummy bread and butter. I especially like sourdough - oh yum!

Enjoy your meatless Monday!
Sharon :-)

Anonymous said...

Would you believe me if I told you that I made this recipe on Sunday?? HA! It has been lunch for me all week, and a good one that that. I blended mine in the blender so it smooth, but the same recipe.
I am trying to eat meat just once a day, and not much at that. I am moving slowly in your direction!!
Have a great day, dear!!
Love,
Renee

Shanda said...

You have one of the most interesting blogs I have seen yet. Love the photos as I too travel and love seeing the world. Guess I should post some photos as you have!!!
We love lentils so I am going to try this recipe.
Thanks for stopping by my blog. I'm following you now from Southern California!

Shanda said...

You have one of the most interesting blogs I have seen yet. Love the photos as I too travel and love seeing the world. Guess I should post some photos as you have!!!
We love lentils so I am going to try this recipe.
Thanks for stopping by my blog. I'm following you now from Southern California!

Yarni Gras! said...

i love lentil soup so I'll be trying this recipe on Monday, thanks!

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...