Lentil, Quinoa, and Kale Soup with Curry and Cinnamon

A few weeks ago I posted a recipe for my Lentil, Kale, and White Bean Soup, and now I'm back with another recipe, one which has entirely different flavors but the same basic ingredients.

If you like curry and cinnamon, this is the soup for you. It's so hearty and flavorful, and it smells absolutely incredible. It's so interesting to me that a dish can change simply by using different spices. All it takes is a few teaspoons and you've got something entirely different on your hands.

I also love this soup because it's so nutritious. If you read my recipe for Kale Salad with Carrots, Raisins, and Creamy Curry Dressing, you've already learned the nutrition facts about kale. It's so, so good for you. As is quinoa! One cup of cooked quinoa has 21% of your daily fiber intake and 8 grams of protein. That's why it's so filling. (You can read more about the nutrition facts here and health benefits here.) And even better, one cup of cooked lentils has 63% of your daily fiber intake and 18 grams of protein. (You can read more here.)

Is this not the world's healthiest soup? It's certainly one of the most delicious, in my opinion! And it's perfect for this chilly, rainy fall weather we're experiencing in NYC right now.

Lentil, Quinoa, and Kale Soup

Serves 6
Total cooking time: 45 minutes (prep time: 5 minutes prep, cook time: 40 minutes)

3/4 onion, chopped
3 cups chicken or vegetable broth
1 cup dry lentils
1 cup dry quinoa
2 cups kale, stems removed and leaves chopped
1 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 1/2 teaspoon curry powder
1 1/2 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon salt

In a large pot sauté the onion in extra virgin olive oil for 3-4 minutes or until transparent. Stir in the broth, let it come to a boil, and then add the quinoa and lentils and cook for 20 minutes or until tender. Add the kale and spices and cook for an additional 5-10 minutes, or until everything is tender and tastes ready to eat. Season with salt and pepper to taste. 

Kale Salad with Carrots, Raisins, and Creamy Curry Dressing

Kale. How I love kale. Don't you? It's just so darn good for you. According to this article it's the new beef. Per calorie, kale has more iron than beef, and more calcium than milk. One cup of steamed kale has 354.1% of your daily vitamin A, 88.8% of your daily vitamin C, and 10.4% of your daily fiber. It's full of omega-3 fatty acids, antioxidant nutrients, anti-inflammatory nutrients, and anti-cancer nutrients. Studies on five different types of cancer (breast, bladder, colon, ovarian, and prostate) show preventative benefits from kale intake. I'm hyper-aware of foods that have anti-cancer nutrients, particularly anti-colon cancer nutrients, because my mom died of colon cancer when she was in her late 40s and it's obviously a major concern for me. That's why I love kale. It's a super food. If you're interested, you can read more about the nutritional benefits here.

But let's talk about this salad. I borrowed the recipe from Choosing Raw, and it's good. Really, really good. As you've probably started to notice, I incorporate kale into a lot of recipes. It's one of the main ingredients in my Lentil, Kale, and White Bean Soup, and a side dish in my Gluten-Free Zucchini Quiche with Sautéed Kale and my Kale, Heirloom Cherry Tomatoes, and Chicken Sausage. It's a chameleon, if you will, and goes well in or with a huge variety of recipes. 

This creamy curry dressing really takes the cake. The flavor is so perfect with the crunchy kale. And it's so healthy! And of course it's super easy to make and eat throughout the week, whether for lunch or dinner. If you're feeling like you need some greens, definitely try this at home.

Kale Salad with Carrots, Raisins, and Creamy Curry Dressing

Serves 2-4 (depending on portion size)

Ingredients:

Dressing:

1 cup raw cashews or walnuts
1/4 cup lemon juice
4 pitted dates
3/4 cup water
1/2 teaspoons sea salt
2 teaspoons curry powder

Salad:

1 head kale, de-stemmed, cut into bite sized pieces, washed, and thoroughly dried
2 large carrots, grated
1/3 cup raisins

Instructions:

Blend all dressing ingredients in a food processor or high speed blender till smooth.

Massage the kale with about 1/3 cup dressing, making sure that everything is well coated and softened. Add the carrot and raisins, and remix the salad, adding more dressing if you like.

If you want this to be a heartier salad, you could add sliced apple or lentils.

Lentil, Kale, and White Bean Soup

Today is the perfect day for soup. At least, if you're in New York City. It's dark and rainy and windy. All I want to do is curl up in my bed and read a book or watch a movie (or, let's be honest, finish the season finale of Keeping Up with the Kardashians).

Soup is such a cozy food, don't you think? There's something so comforting about it. Maybe it goes back to my childhood, when my parents would feed me chicken noodle soup whenever I was sick. Perhaps there's a bit of nostalgia there.

Regardless, I love soup, and I'm having a blast venturing into the field of soup-making. This summer I made Yellow Tomato and Mango Gazpacho, on Sunday I made Cucumber Avocado Soup (recipe coming later this week), and last night I made the most delicious Lentil, Kale, and White Bean Soup. It was inspired by a friend's lentil soup recipe, but I threw in some additional ingredients and made it my own. It was incredibly flavorful and satisfying, and I can't wait to experiment with other soups this fall and winter. If you have any requests, feel free to post them in the comments section below. In the meantime, stay dry!

Lentil, Kale, and White Bean Soup

Serves 5
Total cooking time: 45 minutes (prep time: 15 minutes; cook time: 30 minutes)

Ingredients:

1/4 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, diced

3 carrots, chopped

3 celery stalks, chopped

1 cup lentils
1 can cannellini beans
1 can chopped tomatoes
1 head kale, stems removed and leaves chopped
2 cups chicken broth (or vegetable broth)
2 tablespoons fresh oregano
1 tablespoon freshman rosemary
1 tablespoon distilled white vinegar
Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:

In a large pot sauté the onion, garlic, carrots, and celery in extra virgin olive oil for 4-5 minutes. Stir in the lentils, cannellini beans, tomatoes, kale, chicken broth, oregano, rosemary, and vinegar. Simmer on medium heat for 25-30 minutes, or until carrots and lentils are tender. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Transfer to a food processor and blend to the consistency of your choice. This really brings out all of the flavors and creates and creamy consistency, which I prefer to a non-blended consistency. 

Serve immediately and enjoy! 

Gluten-Free Zucchini Quiche with Sautéed Kale

Zucchini is one of those vegetables that I really need to start incorporating into my recipes more often. Not only is it delicious, it's also seasonal—it's a summer squash. 

One of my very good friends over at The Whisk and The Wardrobe told me she's been making different variations of shaved zucchini salad this summer (apparently it's on all of the menus in Italy right now), and that motivated me to take advantage of the vegetable while it's still in season.

Another friend recently recommended the blog Skinnytaste (not all of the recipes are gluten-free, but definitely check it out when you have time) and I found this recipe for zucchini tots, which looked so delicious that I had to give it a whirl. After I went to the grocery store and picked up the necessary ingredients I got home and realized I didn't have a mini muffin tray, so I made do with what I had and used a glass loaf dish instead.

One thing I will say about this recipe is that it takes a little while to make. All in all, probably about an hour. So my promise of posting recipes that take 15-30 minutes just went right out the window. Sorry!

Gluten-Free Zucchini Quiche with Sautéed Kale

Serves 2

For the quiche:

1 cup zucchini, grated
1 egg
1/4 cup medium yellow onion, diced
1/4 cup Glutino Gluten-Free Breadcrumbs (next time I may skip these; they didn't seem to add much)
1/4 cup fresh mozzarella (or for more flavor I would probably use grated cheddar)
Salt and pepper to taste

For the kale:

2 cups kale
2 garlic cloves

Pre-heat the oven to 400°. Spray the dish with cooking spray.

Grate the zucchini into a clean dish towel and then wring all of the excess water out of the zucchini (trust me, there will be a good amount). Combine all of the ingredients in a medium bowl with salt and pepper to taste. Transfer the mixture into the dish, pop it in the oven, and bake for about 30 minutes or until the top is golden.

(Please excuse the subpar photo.)

The kale only takes about 3-4 minutes to sauté, so my advice would be to wait until you're about to take the quiche out of the oven and then throw it on the stove. Rinse the kale and remove it from the stem. Then rip the leaves into bite size pieces. Sauté the garlic in a little olive oil for 1-2 minutes (before it starts to brown), and then add the kale and let it cook for 3-4 minutes (until it looks like spinach would).

Transfer the kale to a plate, then cut a serving of the quiche, add it on top and you're ready to eat!

Kale, Heirloom Cherry Tomatoes, and Chicken Sausage

Sometimes when I get home late and I'm too tired to make an intricate meal I throw a few ingredients in a pan and see what happens. Lately one of my favorite go-to dishes has been sauteed kale, heirloom cherry tomatoes, and chicken sausage. It takes ten minutes tops and is a very healthy, satisfying meal. 

Kale, Heirloom Cherry Tomatoes, and Chicken Sausage

Serves 1

1/4 cup yellow onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, chopped
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 -3 cups kale (it shrinks down like spinach when you cook it)
3/4 cup sliced organic heirloom cherry tomatoes
2 links Al Fresco Apple Maple Chicken Sausage

Saute the onion, garlic, and olive oil in a pan until it starts to brown. Add the kale and cook it until it looks like cooked spinach (3-4 minutes).

Put the sausage and tomatoes in another pan, and cook until the sausage is brown on the outside (4 minutes) and the tomatoes are withered down.

Put everything together on a plate, add parmesan, salt, and pepper if desired, and enjoy! I've also recently been adding cooked millet for a carb if I'm especially hungry. (More to come on millet in another post.)