Truly a recipe with flavors loved by all Filipinos, this is my take on a gingery bean soup reminiscent of ginisang monggo!

There is a side of me that absolutely loves “lutong bahay” comfort food. I grew up eating ginisang monggo at home and I never fail to order it if I see it on the menu of traditional Filipino restaurants. It’s comforting, savory and healthier than other Filipino dishes because of the fiber in the beans and nutrients from the malunggay.

I made this recipe, well, a tad “sosyal” if you would call it that in local terms, by replacing the monggo with lentils and the flavoring it with organic vegetable bouillon. Stay away from those MSG-ridden meat cubes if you can. There are better options now like this certified organic, low sodium vegetable bouillon that is made without artificial additives. Who has time to make their own vegetable stock at home? I rarely do so I keep a box of these handy. They make flavoring your food so easy without having to compromise your health. Remember, MSG and other preservatives may be tiny ingredients but put that together with all the synthetic junk chemicals in other products added to your food and personal products and you’ve got a cocktail of potentially harmful stuff going into your bloodstream. In any Healthy Options store you’ll find quite a number of wholesome condiments that function the same way but are much better for your health.

In other parts of the world like India, Pakistan and Africa, lentils are a staple in their diet so I don’t reckon this ingredient should be too “sosyal” or upscale for those who are unfamiliar with it. Lentils are low-calorie but rich in fiber, protein, iron, complex carbohydrates and most importantly, they keep your stomach full and your gut moving healthily (my fancy way of saying it makes your poop nice).

Creamy Lentil Soup

Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients

2 ½ cup dried organic lentils
250 grams organic pork belly, cut into small cubes with fat separated
1 medium onion, minced
6 garlic cloves, minced
1 thumb-size piece of organic ginger, cut lengthwise
1 Tbsp fish sauce
3 cups water
1 organic vegetable bouillon cube
½ cup coconut cream
1 tsp dried organic basil
2 bay leaves
4 tomatoes, quartered
2 cups of organic spinach or malunggay leaves
sea salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Place a piece of pork fat in a pot, moving it around to completely cover the bottom.
2. Sauté the onions, garlic and ginger until onions are translucent.
3. Remove the pork fat and add the pork meat. Stir until completely cooked.
4. Add the lentils, fish sauce, water, bouillon, coconut cream, dried basil and bay leaves.
5. Let simmer for 30 minutes then add the tomatoes.
6. Once the lentils are soft, toss in a handful of green vegetables into the pot.
7. When leaves are starting to wilt, transfer to bowl and serve hot.

Notes

Not quite into eating meat? Skip the pork along with steps 1 and 3 and replace pork fat with toasted sesame oil for a vegetarian option.