Here you go people. It’s Grain-Free, Gluten-Free, Vegetarian & Vegan!
Many years ago, I spent about 10 fascinating days in Istanbul where I was introduced to flavors profiles I had never tasted growing up in Greenwich, Connecticut.
My very learned mother was keenly interested in just about everything and she did her best to bring the world to our kitchen table. Well, it was really a counter, probably one of the very first “kitchen islands” before they became popular. It was long, like a bar, and we kids bellied up every night at 6 pm, perched on stools, waiting to see what country was being served on any given night.
She and our dad exposed us kids to an impressive variety of international foods. We were taken to Manhattan for Smorgasbords, but also never left the “city” without stopping at the now famous Papaya King for that then rare and exotic papaya smoothie. We tasted real Honduranian “Picadillo” with tender raisins. I watched, bug-eyed, my sister Madeleine cringing in complete horror, as our mother peeled and sliced up delicious beef tongue. I would sit on the counter by the stove, fascinated, as I watched my dad slice and fry up yummy these dark sausages he called “black puddin” which I later learned were also called blood pudding’. Enough said. But with all my parents’ interest in international fare, never had we been introduced to the flavors I discovered during the few weeks I spent in Turkey.
One afternoon in Istanbul, I stopped to grab a regular meal at a cheap and local cafeteria style diner. I can’t remember all I put on my tray, but will never forget the surprise in my mouth as I tasted what I expected to be a plan, salty lentil soup. Wow! Turkish Lemon & Lentil soup bursting with unmistakable notes of mint, lemon and heat. Mint? In a soup? This was new to me. And lemon? Lemon in a soup with tomatoes? The experience, all those decades ago, was something entirely unexpected to this little New England girl.
Today, as in the same morning of this posting, I wanted to try to recreate that never forgotten experience. Alas, I’m back on a the no-grain wagon with a renewed commitment. When you eat truly grain-free, lentils and other legumes are not on the menu!
What to do?
Well, only days ago, I had bagged up some cups of “riced” cauliflower so I thought I’d try using these in place of lentils.
The result was a low-carb, vegetarian & vegan (without the dollop of sour cream) hot, spicy, minty and lemony medley.
I enjoyed my first taste of this soup in a nice bowl, but I think tonight I will place a poached egg on top for protein.
Lemony, Minty, Spicy Vegetable Soup
- Pop your favorite soup pot on the stove, turn the heat to medium and fire up 2 tablespoons of good olive oil. To this, add…
- 3/4 cup of diced onions & 1 tsp salt. Sautee this for a minute or two, then add…
- 1 Grated carrot
- 1 Grated sweet potato
- 1 diced, fresh tomato.
Sauté this mixture for a few minutes, then add… - 1 can of salt-free, diced tomatoes
- 1-2 cups of riced cauliflower
(about 1/2 a head of cauliflower, riced in a food chopper. See photo, below.) - 1/4 cup well-chopped fresh parsley OR 3 tbsp dried parsley
- 2 tbsp fresh, chopped mint leaves OR dried mint.
- Juice from 1/2 a fresh lemon
- 1/2 tsp (or more) of red pepper flakes
2. Cover and allow to simmer on low for 10 minutes, adding salt or lemon or mint to taste.
3. Now add 1 cup of good quality vegetable stock (or chicken stock if you are not vegetarian.)
4. Once your vegetables are soft and the flavors have emerged, pull out your hand-blender (or a regular blender) – do not puree – and lightly mix up all the mixture until you still have visible vegetables, but not slush.
5. Now that the mixture is all smooth and lush, I added about 1/2 a cup of sour cream. (Vegans, substitute the same amount of any creamy vegan product, such as a Half & Half substitute or any creamy product you like to use.)
6 Ladle into a nice bowl. Garnish with parsley or mint and a nice dollop of sour cream, or sour cream substitute.
TIPS:
You can make this same recipe SUBSTITUTING RED LENTILS and OMITTING the Cauliflower. If you do this, do NOT add the sour cream.
If you are serving this as an appetizer, cut up some oldish bread, sautée quickly in salted olive oil until crispy and golden, and serve on top!
I enjoy a nicely poached egg on top of spicy vegetables and the lemon will be fine. Remember, Hollandaise sauce is very lemony! When I really want to make this a warm, late night comfort meal, I melt a slice of mild and creamy cheese on top of the egg. That is not for vegans though.
