Day 8- Red lentil soup

Today it's soup day! A warm soup cand turn a gloomy and cold day in a shinny one in just seconds, with it's taste, flavor, fragrance and color!
Little glimpse of sunshine on the plate, when autumn seems to forget how important sun is!

What you need:

- 300 g of red lentil
- 2 potato
- 3 small carrots
- 1 onion
- 1 red pepper
- dried herbs
- salt and pepper
-1 L of water
- 2-3 garlic cloves
- 1 small parsley root
- 40 ml sun-flower oil
- 3 tablespoon of broth
- a pinch of paprika

Directions:

Wash and cut the vegetables in medium cubes. Boil the lentil with the other vegetables and the dried herbs in 1 L of water, with salt and pepper. Let them boil till they become soft, and you can be easily pierce with a fork. Put the soup in a blender and blend them well toghether, till they become a smooth, velvety soup.
In a pan put the oil and when it's hot, put the broth and the paprika in. Add 60 ml of soup, mix well and then add the oil blend in the rest of the soup.
If the lentil soup it's too thick add an extra 0,5 l of boiling water.
And you'r soup it's ready!
You can serve it with cream, sun-flower seeds, fresh parsley and home-made bread or croutons.

Why is it good for you:

- lentil= a good a source of fiber, that help lower cholesterol. It's also good for your heart and a rich source of iron (that's what gives you energy). Rich in beta-carotene, favoures skin repairation, regenerate's your body and mentaines your eyes healthy.

- onion and garlic= natural antibiotics that keeps you safe from cold, that are so often in this seasone! Also keep your heart healthy.

- carrots= rich in vitamin A, good for your skin and strengthening your immune system, also treating constipation and your eyes healthy.

- red pepper= it's an important surce of fibres, A, C, E, K and B6 vitamins, folic acid and potassium. It protects your heart, and it have alow content of saturaded fatts, sodium and cholesterol.

- potatos= it's rich in potassium, vitamin C, K and B. Potassium keeps your blood pressure to normal levels.
Supports nerve cell activity and combat the effects of stress by the high level of B vitamins and the ability to stimulate the secretion of serotonin.  
It's very well tolerated by the stomach and can be used both diabetic and obese. 

- sun-flower seeds= vitamins E, B1, B6, folic acid, mineral, such as magnesium, selenium, manganese, copper, phosphorus, that makes them a miraculous  natural energizer. 
Helps reduce blood cholesterol, improve immune response and decrease risk of certain cancers.  
Selenium (in wich are rich) has been shown to induce DNA synthesis and repair of the damaged cells, inhibit proliferation of cancer cells and induce their apoptosis (programmed cell death). 

Hope you will try this super yummy soup not just to warm-up your day, but to stay healthy and super energized all day! 


* Recipe find on Carte de Retete *