Immune Boosting Breakfast Lentil Soup

Are you thinking about getting the flu shot? Why not fight back with food instead! Each Wednesday we are revealing a different food that is purported to support your immune system in the fight against the cold and flu viruses that run rampant this time of year.

In addition, each post will be opened up to all our readers, who will be linking up their favorite recipes with these key flu-fighting ingredients, so you can get lots of ideas for creative ways to serve them to your family!

To be sure you don’t miss a single post in the series, consider subscribing to Intentional by Grace, or another one of these participating blogs:

Christian Mommy Blogger
Day 2 Day Joys
Quick and Easy, Cheap and Healthy
The Purposed Heart
The Humbled Homemaker

Last week, we talked about the immune boosting benefits of pumpkin.

This week we’re talking about the importance of eating breakfast in the fight against the cold and flu virus.  

We all know that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Our mother’s mother’s mother knew this important fact, and she told her kids who told her kids who told you, right? Yet, we all invariably skip breakfast day after day after day.

Why is this?

Could it be that we do not properly understand the importance of consuming an amazingly, nutritious breakfast; therefore, we skip right over it without a second thought?

Well, no more can we use this excuse because I’m about to tell you why it is so important to eat your breakfast every single day.

So let’s get started!

God has provided us with a variety of food for our enjoyment, good food at that. Unlike God, who is completely self-sufficient and needs nothing to exist (aka, He is completely independent), we need food for sustenance (aka, we are completely dependent [on Him]). Our bodies need food. We need food for energy.  This energy enables our bodies to grow, replenish, and reproduce.

The truth is, most of us struggle to take in the required number of nutrients that our bodies need to work on a daily basis. Skipping breakfast means we miss out on essential nutrients that our bodies need to work; thus ensuring that we will most likely fail to meet our required nutrient needs for the day.

If our bodies are not getting the appropriate nutrients, then we open ourselves up to a whole host of sickness. Therefore, breakfast truly is arguably the most immune boosting meal of the day.

However, we must be careful to define what equates to an immune boosting breakfast.

I am not talking about slapping cream cheese on a bagel and calling it a day.

You need to be sure to include protein, fat, carbohydrates in the form of fruits and vegetables in your breakfast menu.

Here is a Good Immune Boosting Weekly Breakfast Menu

Monday, Wednesday, Friday: Immune Boosting Breakfast Lentil Soup (recipe below), sauteed greens, and brown rice
Tuesday & Thursday: Probiotic Pumpkin Cran Smoothie, Omelet (be sure to include some butter or coconut oil)
Saturday & Sunday: Basic Soaked Breakfast Oatmeal – add apples, raisins, walnuts, butter, & honey & 2 scrambled eggs

 

On a recent trip to Colorado, our host served us lentil soup and brown rice for breakfast. It was absolutely delicious. When writing this post, I just knew I had to share this with you. I think it’s easy to limit soup to lunch or dinner, but it’s absolutely amazing for breakfast (better if you ask me!).

Time saving tip: I recommend making up a huge batch of lentil soup and freezing it in pint size mason jars. The pint size jars equal a single serving. You can let it thaw overnight, and reheat in the morning, pour over brown rice, and voila – Immune Boosting Breakfast Lentil Soup. This is also a wonderful soup for the hubby to take to work with him!

So warm.
So hearty.
So good!

Immune Boosting Breakfast Lentil Soup

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon coconut oil or butter or butter/olive oil mix
1 medium onion, chopped
3-4 carrots, chopped
2 celery stalks
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder (to taste)
1 teaspoon ground red pepper (to taste, this can get spicy so be careful)
Salt & Pepper (to taste)
2-3 garlic cloves, minced
2 cups dried lentils (soaked this makes almost 4 cups)
1/3 cup cilantro or parsley, chopped
½ teaspoon each of basil & thyme
Chicken broth (I use at least 2 quarts of homemade chicken broth) & water, to cover
1 large tomato, diced

To Make:

1. Soak lentils overnight in water (or at least 7 hours). Drain and rinse lentils.
2. Heat oil in a large pot over medium-high heat.
3. Add the vegetables; sauté for 3 minutes.
4. Add the spices, herbs, and garlic; sauté for 1 minute.
5. Add water, lentils, broth, and tomatoes; bring to a boil.
6. Reduce heat; simmer at least 1 hour (until lentils are soft).

To Serve:

Sauté spinach (bok choy, Swiss chard also work well) in coconut oil with a little garlic.

In a large soup bowl, layer cooked rice, sautéed greens, and top with immune boosting lentil soup. You can put as much as soup as you like.

Serve immediately.

Really, really yummy!

—–

Be sure to check out the other great breakfast recipes and tips shared by the other amazing ladies hosting this series with me. They have some great stuff that you don’t want to miss!

Sweet Apple Steel Cut Oats @ Christian Mommy Blogger
Breakfast Quesadilla @ Day 2 Day Joys
Granola @ Quick and Easy, Cheap and Healthy
Apple Chai Muesli @ The Purposed Heart
“A Traditional Costa Rican Breakfast” @ The Humbled Homemaker

—–

Now it’s your turn! Link up your delicious breakfast recipes below.

There are only two guidelines for participation:

1. Your recipe must include BREAKFAST as an ingredient. Any entry submitted that does not include breakfast will be deleted.
2. Please link your posts back to one of the hosting blogs. This way your readers can have access to all of the other great breakfast recipes as well!