When I have a heavy dish for lunch that contains no fiber, I seek to balance it out with a light dish that contains lots of dietary fiber on my next meal. Most of the time, my go-to dish in such situations is going to be lentil soup. Somehow I always enjoy the lentil taste that always feels comforting to me, despite the fact that I may have it 5 times a week. In this article, I am going to let you about a secret I used to fend off hunger and regulate my gastrointestinal system during my long weight loss journey, by breaking down the lentil soup calories. Let’s begin.
There are 470-520 kcal in 2 cups of lentil soup. Most of these calories come from lentils (100 grams have 353 kcal) and oil (1 tbsp has 120 kcal). Lentil Soup is rich in protein (27.3 grams), carbs (66.6 grams), and fiber (32.4 grams). It is considered a healthy and very balanced meal.
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Lentil Soup Calories Breakdown
The main caloric contributors in this meal are 100 grams of lentils and a tablespoon of oil per serving. Obviously, lentils are the star of the show. They contain lots of carbs and fiber. The carbs in lentils are “complex carbs” sometimes referred to as starches, which release energy to your body when you eat them throughout the day. This makes lentil soup a very good option for breakfast that can sustain you to lunch. Another great benefits of lentils are their fiber content. Fiber makes you feel full and promotes your digestive system health. Lentils also contain several micronutrients and minerals such as iron, magnesium, B vitamins, potassium, and zinc. Finally, lentils are rich in proteins and can contribute a lot to your daily protein need. All of these benefits make lentils a super food that you need to consume regularly to make your health better.
Cheap Superfood
Aside from nutrition, this is another reason why this is an amazing nutrition hack. Because Lentils are cheap and nutritious, they are a great bargain. Consider beef price, which contains 26 grams of protein, in comparison to lentils’ which also contain about the same amount of protein. Not only protein, but you’re also getting dietary fibers and complex carbs to sustain your overall nutrition. Now I am not going to list any prices here because it varies depending on where you live, but you get the idea. However, there’s a catch. You can’t eat just lentils, and there are plenty of reasons for that. The main reason is that too much dietary fiber will cause diarrhea. After all, too much of anything is always bad in my opinion, and you should always strive for a well-balanced diet.
Lentil Soup Cooking Science
The main cooking method here is poaching, which does not affect the overall lentil soup calories. To start, use a little bit of oil to sautee vegetables, which adds around 120 kcal to the overall energy total. After that, add the lentils and cover them with 3 times the amount of water. Most of the water will evaporate or the lentils absorb it, and the soup is done. Aside from the low-calorie aspect, this soup is very easy to make. One thing you have to make sure of is to start cooking it an hour in advance because the lentils take that time to cook fully. Water has no calories at all, and because the lentils use water to cook, it does not have any added calories. This makes this soup a very good meal to complement a fatty dish with no fiber content like a burger.
Lentil Soup Recipes
If you think that lentil soup is boring, then I have the thing just for you. Lentil soup exists in various forms around the world. And believe it or not, it’s a kind of international dish. Here are some recipes that would add variety to your simple lentils, and we will start with the most basic one:
Simple.
When you’re pressed for time, and can’t have a lot of calories for your next meal, this one is for you. Just boil the lentils in water, season with salt, and whatever spices you like, and that’s it. Just be sure to check for water level every now and then, and add water when it’s needed. By controlling the water content, you can adjust the soup thickness to your liking.
Middle Eastern/Indian.
Starts this one by sauteeing onions and spices in a tablespoon of oil per person, then add the lentils, a teaspoon of turmeric, and water. Regarding the spices used at the beginning, I use cumin and coriander, but you can use an array of spices including garlic, ginger, chillis, and many others. You can also use tomatoes or tomato paste, or leave it as it is and finish it with turmeric. You can blend it to a smooth consistency or leave it chunky. Garnish it with green parsley or coriander leaves.
Italian.
Sautee the sofrito (carrots, celery, and onion) in a little bit of oil just like in the other recipes. After 5 minutes, add some blended or chopped tomatoes. Cook those on medium heat for another 5 minutes. Add the lentils and water and season with thyme and oregano. Cook the lentils until they’re tender and enjoy.
My personal recipe.
This a recipe that I imagined and developed. You can start by sauteeing onions and Swiss chard. Add tomato paste and paprika powder, and saute for another minute. Add the lentils, water, turmeric powder, and black lemons. Black lemons are dried lemons that give the dish an intense lemony flavor and some sourness. One key to using them though, is to puncture them multiple times instead of crushing them. Crushing them makes them release a bitter taste into the dish. After cooking the soup for one hour, it is ready.
In all of these recipes, you can substitute water for any type of broth or stock. But because they contain a little bit of fat, know that you’re increasing the calories of the soup slightly.
| Calories | Protein | Fat | Carbs | Fiber | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Simple | 353 | 25.8 | 1.1 | 60.1 | 30.5 |
| Middle Eastern | 493 | 26.4 | 14.7 | 64.8 | 31.6 |
| Italian | 520 | 27.5 | 14.9 | 70.6 | 33.6 |
| Personal | 503 | 27.3 | 14.9 | 66.6 | 32.4 |
Conclusion
We are all done now. We discussed lentil soup calories breakdown, cooking methods, and various recipes to keep lentil soup exciting for you. You know now that lentil soup is a cheap, low calories meal that is rich in protein, complex carbs, and fiber. Are you going to make lentil soup in the near future? And if you do, which one of these recipes do you fancy? Leave a comment below to tell me what type you will do, and share this article with someone to help them with their cooking and health journey.
