As a natural and holistic chef for more than 20 years, Kathryn Bari-Petritis can easily pinpoint 
what families want to eat for a nourishing and fast meal that is comforting, satisfying and delicious.
“It helps to have a well-stocked pantry, but no worries right now if you don’t because stocking the pantry will be something wonderful to look forward to creating on your journey to a healthier lifestyle,” says Bari-Petritis.
The main ingredient in the following soup recipe is the red lentil. Red lentils were foreign to Bari-Petritis until she became a natural chef. She grew up in an Italian household where the brown lentil, often used in lentil soup, was the only lentil she had ever heard of and the only one that was prepared in her home, with traditional Italian spices.
In all her years of teaching (more than 20), Bari-Petritis claims it is this simple red lentil soup, prepared with onions, carrots, celery, spinach and herbes de Provence (basil, thyme and oregano), that has always been everyone’s favorite.
Learning how to work with the red lentil is as “easy as you can get,” says Bari-Petritis, and works for every season with a multitude of potential recipes. There’s a chunky red lentil Swiss chard leek soup for winter or a lemony red lentil with cilantro for a hot summer day.
Another option for red lentils is a traditional Indian dahl, which in addition to red lentils, consists of spices and rice. It is so nutritious that one could work a 10-hour day and eat nothing but the dahl and be sustained. The dahl is more like a stew, or one-pot meal; it’s thick and not soupy. Dahl tastes rich and flavorful, and Bari-Petritis likes to serve it to her family with a touch of grated cheese for a garnish along with at-leaf parsley. “When it comes to red lentils, the sky is the limit! There’s even a red lentil patty that can be made and served in a pita with lettuce, tomato, avocado and sprouts. So yummy!” she exclaims.
“Whatever lentils and regional seasonings you were raised with, you may now want to add red lentil recipes to your repertoire of healthy easy recipes,” adds Bari-Petritis, “and with your good energy, make this recipe your own. Enjoy!”
Sunshine Red Lentil Coconut Soup
Yields: 8 servings
- 1 Tbsp cold-pressed olive oil 1 tsp coconut butter or oil
- 1 medium Spanish onion, medium chopped
- 5 garlic cloves, minced 1-inch knob of fresh ginger, minced to measure 1 full Tbsp 3
- scallions (white and green parts), small chopped
- 1⁄2 tsp ground coriander
- 1⁄2 tsp ground cumin
- 1⁄2 tsp ground thyme
- 1 tsp turmeric
- 2 tsp mustard seeds
- 2 tsp sea salt, divided
- 3 medium carrots, medium chopped
- 3 celery stalks, medium chopped
- 1 small sweet potato, medium chopped 1 cup red lentils
- 1⁄2 cup jasmine white rice
- 1 quart container low-sodium vegetable stock
- 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
- 1⁄4 bunch bok choy, cut into 1⁄4 inch squares to equal l full cup
- 1⁄4 bunch red Swiss chard, cut into 1⁄4-inch squares to equal 1 full cup 1 can light coconut milk
Garnish:
1⁄4 cup cilantro, chopped
3 Tbsp Italian at-leaf parsley
1 small red bell pepper, cored and deseeded, small diced
In a large soup pot, sauté the onion in olive oil and coconut butter until golden. Add the garlic and ginger, stir one minute, add the scallions and stir again. Add spices and mustard seeds, stir well to coat seeds, add 1 tsp salt. Stir in carrots, celery, potato, add 5 cups of water to a full boil for 10 minutes. Add rinsed red lentils (they will look hard), rice and the stock. Bring to a second boil for about 15 minutes or until the red lentils open. Stir in chopped greens, cayenne pepper and 1 tsp salt, cook until just wilted. Add in the coconut milk, blend well. Add garnishes, taste and adjust salt.
Chef’s Notes:
- You can use the grain millet instead of the rice
- You can puree half the soup for a creamy look but before adding the greensRecipe by Chef Kathryn Bari-Petritis, who can be reached at [email protected].
