creamy red lentils and mung beans soup recipe

Rich, delicious and creamy red lentils and mung beans soup is wonderfully satisfying to enjoy any time of the year, especially winter. It’s a hearty and full of flavour soup recipe prepared in just one pot.

This rustic recipe is an excellent way to sneak more legumes into your diet in the most delicious way!

creamy red lentils and mung beans soup recipe

Is this soup healthy?

To answer this question, let’s talk about the health benefits of the 3 main ingredients of this soup:

Red lentils:

Human studies have found that lentils may improve cholesterol levels in people with diabetes and may protect against breast cancer in women. (1)

Lentils are packed with B vitamins, magnesium, zinc, and potassium. They are made up of more than 25% protein, and they are a great source of iron. (2)

Mung beans:

Mung beans are high in nutrients and antioxidants, which may provide health benefits.

In fact, they may protect against stroke, aid digestive health, promote weight loss and lower bad LDL cholesterol, blood pressure and blood sugar levels. (3)

Chicken wings:

Chicken wings are high in protein and B vitamins, as well as essential fat-soluble vitamins like A, D, K, E. Chicken wings also have minerals like iron and calcium.

The skin in Chicken wings is a rich source of collagen, which can increase skin elasticity and has anti-aging effects. (4)

creamy red lentils and mung beans soup recipe

Creamy red lentils and mung beans soup recipe:

creamy red lentils and mung beans soup recipe

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup red lentils, picked over and rinsed
  • 1/2 cup mung beans
  • 1 medium sized onion, chopped
  • 1/2 cup vermicelli
  • 3 pieces of chicken wings
  • 1 tsp seven spices (all purpose seasoning)
  • 1 tsp turmeric
  • 1 tsp cumin
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 3 tbsp vegetable oil, or olive oil

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Directions:

1- On a large stockpot, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the chopped onion, and saute until the onions are soft and translucent, about 5-6 minutes.

2- Add the chicken wings and stir until golden. Then add the salt and spices, and stir constantly.

3- Cover the chicken wings with boiling water. Simmer for 20 minutes or until the chicken is fork tender.

4- Meanwhile, rinse the lentils and mung beans with cold water in a colander, picking out any bad looking beans or pebbles. Add the red lentils and mung beans to the pot, and cover them with boiling water if needed. The water must cover all the ingredients.

5- Set heat to high and bring to boil. Reduce heat to reach a gentle simmer, then cook the soup, uncovered, for about 40 minutes until the mung beans are nice and soft.

6- Finally, add the vermicelli, stir and leave to simmer on a low heat for 15 minutes. Add more water if you prefer a looser soup.

7- Squeeze the lemon into the soup before serving, or sprinkle some dried basil herb on the top, and enjoy a rich warm soup.

creamy red lentils and mung beans soup recipe

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Can I choose any other spices blend?

If you choose other spices blend, make sure to adjust the amount of salt to the salt in the spices blend, so that it doesn’t turn so salty.

Can I boil the chicken with the mung beans and lentils at the same time?

For this soup, I like to boil the wings first and when almost done, I add the the lentils and mong. But, if you don’t have enough time, you can just boil them together.

Can I use other parts of chicken?

I used chicken wings as they are full of flavour, you can use chicken drumsticks or chicken breast for less fat.

Do mung beans need to be soaked?

It is a good idea to soak the beans overnight to soften them, so that it takes less time in cooking.

How to make it gluten-free?

To make this recipe a gluten-free, you just need to avoid the vermicelli as it made from wheat.

How to store the soup?

Store the completely cooled soup in an airtight container in the fridge for 5 days, or the freezer for up to 6 months.


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