Two days ago, I was having a tough afternoon. Without any thinking, I found myself walking into the kitchen, pulling out a bunch of vegetables and herbs, and filling a large metal pot with water.
Sometimes the heart knows what the mind does not.
Cooking is one of the most grounding and satisfying practices I know of. Might be because I grew up in a restaurant, but I have a feeling it’s something much deeper than that. When the world outside seems overwhelming, or you’re feeling a little off, sometimes just putting your hands on raw ingredients and working with spice and temperature to create something nourishing can bring you into a state of much-needed connectedness.
When we’re in this mindset, we begin to see deeper meaning in the process. In this place of enlightened motion, seemingly mundane ingredients begin to reveal their subtle secrets.
A Savory & Nourishing Lentil Soup Recipe:
At the heart of the sacred recipe below is an ingredient with quite a tale to tell.
The lentil.
Known as
Lens Culinaris, the lentil is one of the oldest food sources in human history.
A vast majority of the ingredients we use today were cultivated after we humans settled down into agrarian societies and began planting and harvesting on a seasonal calendar. But there are some that were pivotal food staples of our ancestors long before that.
I’m talking about primal foods that hunters and gatherers treasured for their taste and nutrition. The everyday lentil, as plain as it might seem, is a member of that special group of ancient foods.
Evidence shows that hunter gatherers in Northern Africa and nearby regions of Southwest Asia consumed wild lentils over 13,000 years ago. And guess what?
They’re LOADED with nutrition.
Dried lentils are 26% protein (one of the most protein-rich legumes) and are a good source of potassium, magnesium, calcium, phosphorous, lysine and folate. Plus they have a ton of dietary fiber. It’s no wonder our distant forebears turned to them as a primary source of plant sustenance.
Who needs fiction when the truth is so fascinating?
When you’re crafting the delicious soup below, keep in mind the not-so-ordinary history of its ingredients...
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