Our spicy lentil and sweet potato soup has everything you need for a healthy belly. A diverse blend of whole foods and spices that support digestive health. 

Feel free to adjust the chilli flakes to suit your desired heat level.

A small mortar and pestle is my kitchen staple for grinding whole seeds. The aroma and flavour is so much better than buying the herbs as powder. 

Ingredients:

200g red lentils

2 medium sweet potatoes diced (small)

1 small onion chopped

1 garlic clove finely chopped

1 tsp turmeric

1 tsp ground  whole mustard seeds  

1 tsp ground cumin seeds

1 tsp chilli flakes

Method:

• Chop the onion, all herbs/ spices and garlic and fry in olive oil until soft.
•  Add the sweet potato and cook for a further 10 minutes. 
• Add the lentils and about 1 pint of water. 
• Simmer for 30 minutes.
• Blend and serve.

Happy belly

Lentils

When it comes to dietary fibre lentils should be on everyone’s list for healthy bowels. Insufficient dietary fibre can negatively impact gut flora. This can increase inflammation, insulin resistance, weight gain, and fat retention. The insoluble dietary fibre in lentils absorbs water in the digestive tract, swelling up and carrying waste out of the digestive tract.

This means lentils can regulate the health of the gut and helps potentially prevent constipation, symptoms of IBS and diverticulitis. 

Remember to drink lots of water on lentil days as this will help absorb the fibre.

Mustard seeds

The mustard plant belongs to the brassica family, a group of vegetables that contain health-promoting glucosinolates. Enzymes in the seeds then break these down into isothiocyanates. These compounds give mustard its kick and many studies suggest that they also seem to inhibit the growth of cancer cells, most notably in the gastrointestinal tract and colon. 

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21605497/

Cumin

Research suggests that cumin may increase the activity of digestive enzymes, potentially speeding up digestion. Cumin also increases the release of bile from the liver that helps digest fats and certain nutrients in your gut 

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24829694/

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0308814608002483

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3210012/

Sweet potato

The dietary fibre and antioxidants in sweet potato are supportive of a healthy microbiome. 

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31909777/

Turmeric

Plays a role in supporting digestion. Its antioxidant and anti inflammatory properties help to promote a happy belly.

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27261998/