Falling into ancestral meals
As we transition into early Fall, our bodies tend to crave warmer foods, less smoothies, and salads. One of my favorite meals that I’ve been doing is buying a whole chicken and roasting it with lots of Ayurvedic, spices and grass-fed butter. Then using the drippings and the bones to make bone broth. With that bone broth, I made a big pot of kitchari lentil soup to have on hand for lunches all week. It feels good and ancestral to eat warming foods along the season and use the whole chicken as a nose-to-tail style of eating. My family goes wild for the chicken, and it feels good to nourish them so simply.
For vegetables, I have been leaning into pre-cut squashes available at the grocery store since they are a little daunting to do myself. Pairing already made squash, roasted chicken and some hearty chicory greens with the chicken feels Autumnal and grounding. There’s really nothing better than having a big pot of something delicious in the fridge that takes the guesswork out of the “what’s for lunch?” dilemma daily.
Kitchari lentil soup recipe
(This was the last recipe Whitney’s mom gave her before she passed…)
You will need:
1 pound green lentils washed*
2 large yellow onions
2 leeks sliced and roughly chopped
5 cloves of garlic minced
Whole bunch of celery sliced and chopped
6 whole carrots chopped and coined into cut circles
1 tbsp pink or sea Salt
1 tsp Pepper
10 sprigs of fresh thyme leaves
1.5 tsp ground cumin
2 quarts chicken bone broth
1 tbsp red wine vinegar
*make sure you wash well the lentils and pick out any rocks before use
Instructions:
In a large pot, put 3 tablespoons of olive oil and sauté the onions and leeks together with minced garlic, add salt, pepper, cumin, and fresh thyme sauté this for 10 minutes.
Add chopped celery, and carrot coins and sauté for 10 more minutes.
Add the broth and whole bag of rinsed lentils. Bring this to a boil, then reduce to a simmer for an hour.
At this point, add in one tablespoon of red wine vinegar and cook until the lentils are soft. I like to overcook it, so it becomes more of a lentil stew, kitchari texture rather than a very liquidy lentil soup, but whatever your preference is!
Additional Options:
Adding meat - Sometimes I add sausage or kielbasa into it if I’m in the mood.
Vegan - I have also made this vegan as well using vegetable broth and it’s delicious!
Written by Nutritionist, Whitney Lozano
Founder of Hello, Radiant You
Nutritionist Consultations
As a mother of two Whitney Lozano has an emphasis on supporting new mothers with nutritional guidance to help nourish, replenish, and not just survive but thrive through fatigue and depletion all while learning to navigate family meal planning, losing weight after baby and culminating a routine after baby. With practical + sustainable tips on hand, you can feel confident moving through your day providing nourishing meals for you and your whole family. To work with Whitney directly, you can schedule a complimentary consultation by using this link: Schedule Consult