Lentil soup is loaded with protein and can easily suffice as a meal along with a salad, and perhaps some whole-grain bread. This hearty, heart-warming soup has few ingredients and is quite simple to make. You can leave it unblended and chunky, blend half, or blend it all -- whatever suits your personal taste.
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 2 hours, 20 minutes
Total Time: 2 hours, 25 minutes
Yield: 6 servings
Ingredients:
- Ham or bacon pieces to taste
- 2-1/2 cups or 1 (16-ounce) package dried lentils
- 6 cups chicken broth
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 1/2 cup grated carrots
- 4 Tablespoons butter or margarine
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme, crushed
- 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- Salt and white pepper to taste
Preparation:
In a large soup pot over medium-high heat, combine ham or bacon pieces, lentils, and chicken broth; bring just to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer 1 to 1-1/2 hours or until lentils are soft.
Remove 2 cups of cooked lentils and place into food processor or blender bowl; let cool 5 minutes (if you do not let cool slightly before processing, mixture will explode out of container and make a mess in your kitchen). After cooling, whirl until pureed. Stir pureed lentils into soup mixture.
In a medium frying pan over medium-high heat, saute onion and carrots in butter or margarine until limp, but do not brown; add to lentils. Add thyme, nutmeg, salt, and white pepper. Simmer another 30 minutes. Remove from heat and serve in soup bowls.
Yield: 6 servings
Source: What's Cooking America by Linda Stradley and Andra Cook (Falcon Pub)
Reprinted with permission.
Remove 2 cups of cooked lentils and place into food processor or blender bowl; let cool 5 minutes (if you do not let cool slightly before processing, mixture will explode out of container and make a mess in your kitchen). After cooling, whirl until pureed. Stir pureed lentils into soup mixture.
In a medium frying pan over medium-high heat, saute onion and carrots in butter or margarine until limp, but do not brown; add to lentils. Add thyme, nutmeg, salt, and white pepper. Simmer another 30 minutes. Remove from heat and serve in soup bowls.
Yield: 6 servings
Source: What's Cooking America by Linda Stradley and Andra Cook (Falcon Pub)
Reprinted with permission.
