COMFORT FOOD: LOW-CARB LENTIL SOUP WITH COCONUT MILK

Winter peeks within our life as we bid farewell to autumn. The smell of fresh baked bread roams around all houses as we prepare for the cold winter months.

I too shall get ready for my family and friends as I place fresh baked bread upon my dinner table. The winter months are my favorite time of the year, yet it also brings cold and allergies upon our homes. I had to find a comfort food for my diabetic body and have my family and friends enjoy this as well. In the grocery stores, I have found low-carb bread tortillas/rotis very easily.

I have found ways to cook low-carb food that is family and friend friendly.

Today, I want all of you to enjoy my home cooked brown lentil soup topped with coconut milk.

I don’t quite measure my portions but I make sure I check my blood sugar level after each meal to see if my body accepted this food. I also check to see if I was able to keep my blood sugar level below 90.

Brown/green lentil is my winter comfort food. I have found out I can easily add a side, keep my blood sugar level low, and have a great meal. Brown/green lentils, just like all lentils, are rich in dietary fiber. We the humans need about 30 to 38 grams of dietary fibers every day.

Our heart too appreciates this comfort food. The fiber, folic acid, and potassium found in lentil help our heart health too. For a diabetic, this food is good as it has a lot of fiber. It is digested easily. The icing on the cake is if you are trying to lose weight or keep your weight steady, it helps. Personally, I lose weight from being a diabetic very easily. I have to keep a track of my weight level as I know a lot of diabetic people have the opposite reaction and gain weight.

As a diabetic, I find the brown/green lentil especially easy to digest.

It also keeps my blood sugar level low as it is rich in protein and fiber. I had found out I could subtract fiber from the carbohydrates and then calculate my carbohydrate intake. This way, my blood sugar lever stayed intact.

I realized pimples come easily to a diabetic person. Lentil is good for my skin and hair as I found the folic acid in the lentil gives the extra boost to my body.

Life is a journey through lessons learned. For me, that was trying to look back at my own footsteps and see where I had made a mistake and how could I change this path. Food is also a great way to incorporate spirituality and calmness to one’s life.

Letting go of sugar, cakes, and candy on Halloween, or staying away from all the rich food during the holiday was my journey to awaken from within. I am a Yogini who had learned to let go of all earthly desires yet felt like I had gained so much more. Becoming a vegetarian for me was an awakening from within.

“Ahimsa” is the Sanskrit word that means respect for all, and no violence toward one another.

I found a new world where I knew I could travel upon this path and bless myself and all others as I love all completely without any judgments.

I will travel through some of my favorite vegetarian recipes this winter. Through my vegetarian diary, I know you and I can be upon the same dinner table. In union, we shall share our food and even you the meat eater and I the vegetarian can join and be upon the same table with our own plates and have a family friendly conversation.

Today, I will leave you with my low-carb lentil soup with coconut milk. I enjoy this with stir fried vegetables on the side, or the 3 carb tortillas I find in the grocery stores. I prefer to use La Preferida Lentils, but feel free to substitute with a brand of your choice. You could also include two tomatoes. I did not include tomatoes as I try to keep my carbohydrate intake at a minimum.

LOW-CARB LENTIL SOUP WITH COCONUT MILK

ANN MARIE RUBY

This delicious comfort lentil soup with coconut milk is vegetarian, low-carb, and easy to make!

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Servings 10 people

Ingredients

  

• 2 cups Brown/Green Lentil
• 6 cups Water
• 2 Onions
• 1 tsp Garlic
• 2 sticks Celery cut and diced
• 1 tsp Turmeric Powder
• 1/2 tsp Cumin Powder
• 1/2 tsp Coriander Powder
• 1/2 tsp Red Chili Powder
• 2 tsp Curry Powder
• Salt as needed
• Rosemary (or substitute with cilantro) as needed
• 1 tsp Olive Oil
• 15 oz Coconut Milk

Instructions

 

• I soak the lentil for half an hour. Then, I place the olive oil in my wok as I cook the cut onions, garlic, ginger, turmeric, cumin, coriander, and chili powder and add salt to it.
• After the onions are cooked, I add the drained lentil and stir it as I add the water and let it boil. After the lentil is cooked in about twenty minutes, I add celery and rosemary to it.
• After the lentil is finished cooking, I add coconut milk just before serving.

Notes

TOTAL CARBOHYDRATES CALCULATION FOR 10 SERVINGS:

• Total carbohydrates: 184.4
• Total fiber: 69
• Net carbohydrates (total carbohydrates-fiber): 115.4
• Net carbohydrates per serving: 11.54 net carbohydrates
• This includes the carbohydrates in the lentil, onions, celery sticks, and coconut milk

Keyword Comfort Food, Diabetic Food, Lentil Soup, Soups, Vegetarian

One could serve this dish with tortillas or over hot low glycemic index basmati rice. As a diabetic, I take it with Mission Carb Balance 3/4/5 carb tortillas heated with little olive oil or ghee.  When serving rice, I use Laxmi Lower G.I. Value Basmati Rice for People with Diabetes.

The total carbohydrates calculation is based on my calculations, but always remember to do your own calculation based on ingredients and serving size. For all of you whom can’t find all the spices, you could substitute cumin, coriander, turmeric, and chilly powder with two tablespoons of curry powder.

This lentil soup with coconut milk is my homemade recipe. You can change and add ingredients to your taste. Remember, cooking is something you should try out yourself according to your taste and physical needs.

Enjoy cooking with your family and friends this holiday season.

Blessings from Seattle,