Brown or green lentils simmered with tomato, onion, garlic, and smoked seasoning into a thick, iron-rich pot. The legume soup that's ready in 40 minutes with no soaking.
Lentil soup is the fast bean pot — no overnight soak, ready on a weeknight — which makes it a practical bridge between ancestral legume eating and a working family's schedule. It pairs the Southern habit of smoked seasoning with one of the most nutrient-dense legumes on earth.
Lentils are one of the best plant iron sources available — roughly 6.6mg per cooked cup — and pairing them with the vitamin C in the tomato base sharply increases non-heme iron absorption, which directly addresses the iron-deficiency anemia common among Black women. They deliver 18g of protein and 15g of fiber per cup with a low glycemic index, supporting blood sugar and cholesterol. Folate at over half the daily value per cup supports cardiovascular and prenatal health.
Rinse lentils (no soak). Saute onion, carrot, celery, and garlic, add tomato paste and diced tomato, then lentils and broth. Simmer 30-40 minutes until tender. Cumin, smoked paprika, thyme, and bay leaf build depth; a squeeze of lemon at the end lifts both the flavor and the iron uptake. Add a handful of spinach or chopped greens in the last few minutes.
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