Dreaming of beautiful healthy skin & hair then you have to include this beta carotene booster vegetable & red lentil soup in your routine. Moreover this soup promotes good vision and immunity.
A hearty blend of fresh vegetables and red lentils plus delicious spinach topping leaves you completely satisfied. It is filled with plethora of benefits and comes together in 30 minutes.
When it is cold and rainy outside all I crave is a big bowl of piping hot soup. Soups are nourishing, healthy , cozy and comforting. And this one here my friend is no exception.
For a moment keep your supplements aside and try real food.
This soup is packed with beta carotene which is further converted into Vitamin A.
Beta-carotene is a red-orange pigment found in plants and fruits and our body converts beta carotene into Vitamin A .
Beta carotene from food source is safer to consume as compared to the supplements .
The advantage of dietary beta-carotene is that the body only converts as much as it needs.
Excess vitamin A is toxic. Toxic vitamin A levels can occur if you consume too many supplements.
So getting nutrition from food directly is always a good idea.
Moreover adding red lentils makes it a protein rich soup too .
I make this soup at least once a week and try to eat Vitamin A rich food’s throughout .
It is not difficult to get your daily dose of Vitamin A everyday.
We love this soup because it’s –
Vegan.
Gluten free.
Packed with Vitamin A and Protein.
Comes with great benefits.
Under 30 minutes.
Pressure cooked in Instant Pot.
What is this soup made of ?
I have used beta carotene rich orange / red pigment produce like sweet potatoes, red & orange bell peppers , carrots , onions and tomatoes .
I have even amplified this soup for some great protein & extra nutrition intake by adding red lentils.
And instead of topping it with croutons I have pan sautéed some spinach – again a great source of beta carotene with a touch of garlic and a generous sprinkle of sesame seeds.
Pressure cooking this soup in my Instant Pot makes this soup a breeze . You may even cook it on the stove top or traditional pressure cooker. Look for further instructions and recipe below.
Beta Carotene booster vegetable & red lentil soup
Ingredients
- 2 teaspoon cooking olive oil/ preferred oil
- 1/2 tablespoon grated ginger
- 1/2 cup chopped onions
- 1/2 cup red lentils/ dal washed 3 times and drained
- 4 medium sized carrots
- 2 medium sized bell peppers
- 2 sweet potatoes
- 4 medium sized tomatoes
- 1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder optional
- Pinch of chili powder optional
- Pepper to taste
- Salt to taste
- For topping
- 1/2 tablespoon cooking olive oil / or of your choice.
- 2 cloves of garlic grated
- 2 cups chopped spinach
- Sat and pepper to taste
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- 2 tablespoon sesame seeds
Instructions
- Roughly chop all veggies called for the soup.
- Instant pot method
- Switch Instant pot to saute mode .
- Once warm add in the onions and saute for a minute.
- Then add in the ginger and saute for 30 seconds.
- Dump in all the veggies and the red lentils and add enough water to cover the soup ingredients.
- Add in the turmeric and chili powder now .
- Give it a quick stir .
- Now add in 1 cup additional water .
- Close the lid and keep sealing position.
- Press cancel to get out of saute mode.
- Press manual 6 minutes high pressure.
- Let it cool with NPR ( natural pressure release. ) Will take 10 minutes to cool down.
- Open the lid and check for doneness of the lentils and sweet potatoes.
- Puree the soup with immersion blender . Add more water if needed.
- Add salt and pepper . Taste test.
- While the soup is under making you can make the topping simultaneously .
- For topping.
- In a pan heat the oil. Add in garlic and saute for 30 seconds.
- Add in the spinach and sautee until wilted , about a minute.
- Add in salt , lemon juice and pepper if desired.
- Serve soup warm with spinach topping and sprinkle some sesame seeds.
Notes
Turmeric & chili are optional. They add more flavor and have health benefits. Skip if you don't have any.
For traditional stove top pressure cooker , pressure cook on medium flame for 4 whistles . Let it cool and proceed.
For open stove top cooking use a large pot and cook on medium low covered occasionally for 33-40 minutes until the lentils are tender. You will need to add more water between the cooking.
You may add coconut milk towards the end after it’s blended for extra richness.
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See why beta carotene is so important for you here.
Hope you like this recipe and do give it a try. I would love to hear from you. Do leave me your valuable comments and suggestions below . You can even leave me a message on my Facebook page Carveyourcraving.
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Thanks for stopping by.
Sounds wonderful Samaira. I love soups too. Thanks for a lovely feedback.
Nice recipe . I am in lookout for different soup recipes and this turned out great. Thanks.
4 minutes sounds great. I will try that next time. Thank you. Thanks a lot for a lovely feedback.
Loved this clean eating recipe. My toddler liked it too. Thank you. I made half the recipe and set ip to 4 minutes and it worked too.
That is wonderful Cathy. A large batch sounds less work over the week.. Cheers to ip.
Tried this in ip over the weekend . Made a large batch to eat over the week. We are loving it. Nutritious and filling. Thank you. I added Italian herbs to it.