Receta Lentil Soup is Hearty and Versatile.
Lentils, I don't know why folks cringe and/or make faces when they hear that word. The lentil is part of the Legume group; guess what, so is the peanut and I don't see many saying "yuck" to that. Lentils are high fiber, low fat, help lower blood sugar and blood pressure and NO cholesterol; if you're a diabetic, this is great news. In taste and texture, they're pretty similar to beans, but cook more quickly. Now while they can be served as a side dish, my favorite way of eating them is in a soup.
When it comes to a bean, split pea or lentil soup of any kind, I'm more of a purist; the bean, split pea or lentil should be the star while the other ingredients are supporting actors. For example, my grandmother's Split Pea Soup; even in the photo (click on the previous link) of it, you can see split pea is the main focus. Depending on how spontaneous my want of soup is, or if it's for a later meal, decides how the soup is cooked; stove top or crockpot (slow cooker). For the Lentil Soup recipe I'm going to post, I'm going to make it all vegetarian first; then I'll post options you can add to your soup.
Lentil Soup for the Slow Cooker
Ingredients:
- 2 cups dry lentils
- 4 cups water
- 4 cups vegetable broth
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 2 large stalks of celery, diced
- 1 Tbsp minced garlic
- 1 tsp fine sea salt
- 1 tsp Italian herbal mix
- 1 (14.5 oz) can crushed tomatoes
- Preparation:
- Put the lentils in a large bowl, cover with the water; cover bowl with plastic wrap and let sit overnight. Next day, strain lentils from water; place in a 6 quart crockpot with all other ingredients listed. Set on low and cook for 8 to 10 hours; until lentils are tender.
- Makes 6 to 8 servings.
- Lentil Soup for the Stove Top
- Ingredients:
- 2 Tbsp vegetable, canola or peanut oil
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 2 large stalks of celery, diced
- 1 Tbsp minced garlic
- 2 cups dry lentils
- 4 cups vegetable broth
- 1 tsp fine sea salt
- 1 tsp Italian herbal mix
- 1 (14.5 oz) can crushed tomatoes
Preparation:
In a large soup pot, saute the onion and celery on medium heat until softened (about 10 minutes); add the garlic and cook an additional 2 minutes being careful that the garlic does not brown or burn. Stir in remaining ingredients from the list; when bubbles begin to form around edge of pot, reduce to low, cover and cook for 60 to 90 minutes; until lentils are tender.
Makes 6-8 servings.
Options
- before serving, add in 3 tablespoons of fresh lemon juice and a 1/2 cup of chopped fresh dill.
- for a spicier taste, add in ground chile powder; the amount is dependent on how how you want it.
- skip the onion, celery and minced garlic; roast two heads of garlic, squeeze the pulp into the soup mix and let cook according to crockpot or stove top time.
- brown a 1/2 pound of bacon, ground lamb, ground beef or sausage (mild, hot, Italian), drain fat, and add with the other ingredients at cooking start.
- use beef broth instead of vegetable broth
Whether you go purist, add a ton of other vegetables or meat; Lentil Soup can be a pretty yummy meal, especially on a cold, blistery day. Try it!
Mary Cokenour