Roman Lentil Soup

All of the content that follows is from Nourishing Traditions page 215. The hearty Roman soldier carried 80 pounds plus his armor and walked 20 miles per day. His fare consisted of coarse bread and porridge of millet or lentils, supplemented with garum or liquamem, fermented fish sauce. This condiment supplied him with nutrients from the animal kingdom on a daily basis. Made from the heads and organs of fish, it is especially rich in iodine and vitamins A and D and thus contributed to the robust strength of the Roman legions. Recipe serves 8:

Ingredients

3 medium onions, peeled and sliced or
3 leeks, washed, trimmed and sliced
3 carrots, peeled and sliced
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 quarts beef or chicken stock
or combination of filtered water and stock
2 cups red or brown lentils, soaked for 7 hours several sprigs fresh thyme, tied together
1/2 teaspoon dried green peppercorns
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice or whey
sea salt or fish sauce and pepper
piima cream or creme fraiche

Ingredients

In a large, stainless steel pot, cook onions or leeks and carrots gently for about 1/2 hour in butter and olive oil.
When the vegetables are soft, add stock and lentils and bring to a boil.
The lentils will produce a great deal of foam—be sure to skim this off.
Reduce heat and add thyme and crushed peppercorns.
Simmer, covered, until the lentils are tender—about 1/2 hour.
Remove the thyme.
Purée soup with a handheld blender. Thin with water to desired consistency.
Reheat slightly and add lemon juice or whey.
Season to taste. Ladle into heated bowls and serve with cultured cream.

Weston Price, DDS, Letter to His Nieces and Nephews

This was written in 1934: “The basic foods should be the entire grains such as whole wheat, rye or oats, whole wheat and rye breads, wheat and oat cereals, oatcake, dairy products, including milk and cheese, which should be used liberally, and marine foods. All sea foods are high in minerals and constitute one of the very best foods you could eat. Canned fish such as sardines, tuna or salmon are all excellent; also the fresh fish such as oysters, halibut, haddock, etc. The protein requirement can be pro- vided each day in one egg or a piece of meat equivalent to the bulk of one egg a day. The meals can be amply modified and varied with vegetables, raw and cooked, the best of the cooked vegetables being lentils used as a soup.

There are only a few foods that would give you your fat-soluble vita- mins. These are either fish products, including practically all fresh water and salt water foods, milk, cheese and butter made from cows that have been on a rapidly growing green young wheat, either fresh or stored grass, particularly butter made in June. This is much richer than butter made during other seasons of the year.”

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