Power Soup

#100daysof happiness has gone viral and has infected my inner landscape somehow.  Amidst all the complaints about massive traffic that is expected in Metro Manila's main thoroughfares and the misery that commuters are inevitably bound to go through, I find myself ever so grateful that I don't have to travel to work everyday.  

Working from home, which is just one of the components of working smart, is a real gift;  but, it has its challenges too.  The tendency to fall into either of two traps is among these.  On one hand, one can get lost in endless domestic chores lurking around the distracted worker.  On the other, one can get so engrossed in one's work until work begins to creep in to one's personal life.   The second one is my pitfall.

Most days I find myself absorbed in what I'm doing or stuck in an unplanned online meeting and lose track of time in the process.  I would wonder why I'm beginning to feel lightheaded and why my knees are feeling wobbly only to realize that it's almost 13:00, way too late for lunch and some six hours after my last meal.  I'd then feel too hungry and anxious at the distraction from work that I'd tend to simply eat what's available.  The usual suspects would be salted eggs, soy milk, and milk fish sardines.  Not healthy at all!  

In the spirit of maintaining a work-life balance and keeping healthy in body-mind-spirit, I made a vow to myself to feed myself with healthier and more soulful food.   For a start, I now make several batches of soup either during the weekend or early morning before I sit in front of my office computer.  What a joy it is to explore the many vegetarian soups there are. 

Here's something I tried this week, inspired by http://veganyumyum.com/2007/02/kale-soup/. It's called Kale Soup but I call it power soup because of the high protein and mineral content.  

olive oil, 2 tbsp.
coriander seeds, 1/4 tsp. (optional)
onion, 1 big, chopped finely
quinoa, 1/2 cup
green lentils, 1/2 cup
kale, 1/2 cup, cut into 1-inch strips
cumin powder, 1/2-1 tsp. depending on preferred strength of taste
curry powder, 1/2-1 tsp. 
salt, 1 tsp.
water, four cups
tahini, 1/4 cup
soy sauce or tamari (I used Brags liquid aminos instead), to taste

Pour coriander in hot but not burning olive oil. When seeds start to pop, add onions and saute until soft. Then add pre-washed quinoa and green lentils.  Stir for about five minutes before adding cumin, curry powder and salt, stirring slightly for another three minutes before adding water. Bring to boil and then let simmer in low fire for about 20 minutes or until the lentil is soft but not soggy. 

Blend the cooked soup slightly with a hand blender or in a regular blender.  Add the tahini and liquid aminos and allow to simmer in very low fire for three minutes.  Stir frequently.  

Some variations: (1) add sliced thumb-sized ginger before adding the lentils and quinoa, (2) squeeze in lemon just before serving, (3) either stir in coconut milk after adding tahini and  and tamari or top with coconut milk, (4) sprinkle with smoked paprika for a smoky flavor. 

Great with garlic nan.