This is a lovely soup and a tasty pick-me-up during the cold never-ending months of winter. It’s easy to make, and smells fantastic! Jars and freezes well.

Ingredients List:

• 4 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 3 Carrots (chopped)
• 2 stalks of Celery (chopped)
• 1 large Onion (chopped)
• 1 cup of Mushrooms (chopped)
• ¼ tsp Red Pepper Flakes
• 1 Tbsp Turmeric
• 4 cloves of Garlic (chopped)
• ½ tsp Black Pepper (ground)
• 1800 ml (7½ cups) Organic Vegetable Broth
• 4 inches (10 cm) Fresh Ginger, peeled and cut into 4 x 1 inch (2.5cm) pieces
• 1½ cups Brown Rice (already cooked)
• ½ cup Lentils (already cooked) Use Green, Brown or Laird Lentils, not French Lentils
• 1/3 cup freshly squeezed Lemon Juice (approx. 2 Lemons)
• Zest from 1 of the Lemons
• 3 Tbsp Honey (we use unpasteurized)
• 3 Tbsp fresh Mint Leaves (chopped)

Instructions:

1. Heat the Olive Oil in a large pot on medium heat

2. Add the Carrots, Celery, and Mushrooms. Cook for a few minutes until they start to soften.

3. Add the Red Pepper Flakes, Turmeric, Garlic, and Black Pepper. Cook for another 2 minutes. Note: If your Vegetable Broth does not contain any Salt you will need to add a pinch. Otherwise, no additional salt is needed.

4. Add the Vegetable Broth, Ginger, Brown Rice, and Lentils. Turn heat down to simmer.

5. Simmer for a few minutes until steaming. Taste for seasoning.

6. Turn off the heat. Add the Lemon Juice, Honey and Mint Leaves. Stir and let sit for a few minutes so all the flavours can blend together.

It’s at this point that I can’t get enough of standing over the pot and letting the fresh aroma of mint and tasty goodness fill my senses with joy. Seriously, it’s worth making the soup just for that moment. I think we should have called it Happy Soup!

Note about the Ginger: The Ginger is cut into 4 pieces to ensure more raw edges for nutrient release. Also, when jarring, freezing or serving the soup, always try and put a piece of the ginger in each container so that it can continue to be absorbed.

Note about cooked Rice & Lentils: When I cook rice, beans, chick peas, lentils, etc, I always make more than I need and put the remainder in the freezer. I have found it to be a very convenient way to have already cooked grains and starches/proteins available when they are needed in other recipes.

Source: This is an Agrestal original recipe, 2022