Gentle Lentils with Basil is the Bomb Sauce

Gentle Lentils with Basil is the Bomb Sauce – this quick and easy soup will warm you as a hearty meal with bright, vibrant flavors.

In the last few weeks, we have gloriously consumed three batches of lentils. These lentils. With this bright and flavorful basil sauce. We both love lentils – they are incredibly tasty and satisfying, and this recipe is so very quick and easy! Really! A wonderful thing during the holiday season, or lets face it – just any busy week in this life.

Today I am celebrating my dear friend Tess Masters and her new book, The Perfect Blend, which is now available here in the states, and releasing just after the new year elsewhere. I already know this book is going to be a permanent fixture in my kitchen – it is packed with recipe goodness, important information, and brilliant photography. This book is a testament to joyful health and abundance that truly feeds the soul.

After our two week vacation around Thanksgiving that included a midwest family gathering and a Vegas country western show, I needed an infusion of fresh. This book landed in my kitchen at the perfect time – we arrived home and I immediately made the Raw Broccoli Brilliance salad. It was just what I needed. Tess’ Avocado Avenger recipe (with a stunning chimichurri) is an anti inflammatory wonder and will be a constant in my life. Her Magic Mojo is a delicious chocolate shake brimming with healthy boosters. The Miso Glazed Eggplant is as amazing as it sounds, and the Cauliflower Mac n’ Cheese is the ultimate comfort – I had some for breakfast today. Not sorry.

Up next on my list to try, the French Toast with Caramelized Bananas. I can smell the warm cinnamon maple flavors now. The Punched Up Potato & Leek soup is already in my plans for the weekend, and the Caramel Cravings smoothie will be a New Year breakfast for sure.

Having a lentil craving recently (honestly – no lie, ask Jason), Tess’ Gentle Lentils with Basil is the Bomb Sauce recipes are the first I tried from this incredible book. and again, they are so quick and easy, I made them again several days later. By the third batch, I was making them without the recipe. I hope you like it as much as we do!

Gentle Lentils with Basil is the Bomb Sauce

YIELD: 8 as a starter, 6 as a main

dairy, egg, soy and gluten free, vegan

INGREDIENTS:

2 tablespoons grapeseed oil or extra-virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons minced garlic (about 2 cloves)
1 cup (150g) diced yellow onion
1 cup (132g) diced celery
1 cup (160g) peeled and diced carrot
1 teaspoon natural salt, plus more to taste
2 cups (370g) dry green lentils
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh thyme, plus more to taste
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
8 cups (2 l) vegetable broth
Fresh lemon juice
1 cup (240ml) Basil-Is-the-Bomb Sauce with red pepper flakes booster (recipe follows)

optional boosters
1 avocado, pitted, peeled, and sliced
So Good! Sour Cream
1 cup (40g) pea greens

INSTRUCTIONS:

Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium-low heat and sauté the garlic, onion, celery, carrot, and 1/2 teaspoon of the salt for about 5 minutes, until the vegetables soften slightly.

Stir in the lentils, thyme, pepper, and broth. Increase the heat to medium-high, bring the mixture to a lively simmer (not a full boil), and cook for about 5 minutes. Lower the heat to medium-low, cover and simmer for about 20 minutes, until the lentils and vegetables are tender but not mushy. Add salt to taste.

Ladle the soup into bowls and add about 1/4 teaspoon lemon juice to each serving. Drizzle 1 tablespoon of the Basil-Is-the-Bomb sauce over the top of each bowl and serve with a few avocado slices, a dollop of sour cream, and some pea sprouts. Pass the remaining Basil-Is-the-Bomb sauce and more lemon juice at the table.

nutritional facts (per serving, based on 8 servings) calories 339 kcal | fat 17.7 g | saturated fat 2.3 g | sodium 431.1 mg | carbs 35.3 g | fiber 6.5 g | sugars 3.3 g | protein 12.4 g | calcium 60.7 mg | iron 3.6 mg

Basil is the Bomb Sauce

YIELD: one cup

dairy, egg, soy and gluten free, vegan

INGREDIENTS:

1/2 cup (120ml) extra-virgin olive oil
2 cups (50g) loosely packed basil leaves
1/4 cup (20g) finely chopped green onion (white and green parts)
1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 teaspoons minced garlic (about 2 cloves)
1/4 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
1/4 teaspoon natural salt, plus more to taste

optional boosters
2 teaspoons capers, drained
1 teaspoon wheatgrass powder
1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes

INSTRUCTIONS:

Throw everything into your blender, including any boosters, and blast on high for 30 to 60 seconds, until smooth and emulsified. Tweak the salt and pepper flakes to taste. This is best served immediately, but will keep, sealed and chilled, for about 5 days.

nutritional facts (per serving, based on 4 servings) calories 246 kcal | fat 27.1 g | saturated fat 3.7 g | sodium 147.5 mg | carbs 1.5 g | fiber 0.4 g | sugars 0.3 g | protein 0.6 g | calcium 29 mg | iron 0.7 mg

That Basil is the Bomb Sauce? Just go ahead and make a double batch the first time. You’ll use it, I promise. You’ll use it a lot.

In celebration of this incredible book, Tess is hosting a massive 27K giveaway with ten lucky winners! Visit here to learn more and enter!

Gentle Lentils with Basil is the Bomb Sauce recipes reprinted with permission from The Perfect Blend, copyright 2016 Tess Masters. Published by Ten Speed Press, an imprint of Penguin Random House LLC.

printable Gentle Lentils with Basil is the Bomb Sauce recipes: