Becky’s Lentil Soup

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In my family, the phrase “lentil soup” reminds us all of a running joke about the horror of “bean weeks”.  When my clan ran low on cash, us nine kids were urged on to eat bowls of cheap beans with stories of “Esau selling his birthright for a pot of lentils.”  Trust me.  None of us wanted to sell our birthrights for a pot of lentils.  Esau … you crazy.

In fact, I rank lentil stew as the top #4 grossest food in the world, coming in right behind my personal ranking of 1) Corn Pudding 2) Sloppy Joes and 3) Shepherd’s Pie.  Apologies to Becky and Sarah, who make a Mean Sloppy Joe!  🙂

But BECKY’S LENTIL SOUP … ah, that is another matter entirely!  It has COMPLETELY changed my mind on lentils.  I ate this stuff as fast as I could.  Warm, filling, and the chicken was soft and smooth and buttery.  Yum yum yum yum yum yum yum.

Here is the amazing recipe.  You’ll want to stock up on some Beano (let’s keep it real), BUT sosogood.  I’m going to make a batch later this week — it is that addictive.  And did I mention it helped me lose a pound or two?  Protein, veggies, Bible stories, delicious fall soup recipe, salicylate/sulphite free … what could be better?

The Lentil soup is a three part recipe, here goes:

Becky’s Lentil Soup

Garbanzo (Chick Pea) Beans

Soak a bag of garbanzo beans overnight (or at least 8 hours).  Drain and rinse.  Fill large pot with water and boil beans until tender.  (Scoop off foam to cut down on gas and add water as necessary).  Three cups are needed for the lentil soup recipe — remaining beans can be used in SSF Hummus (recipe to come) or as an add in to pasta (I like mine with orzo).  Can be prepared at the same time as the …

 Homemade Broth:
5-7 lbs Chicken thighs or legs
3 large stalks of celery (or the center of a head of celery including the leaves)
3 Tablespoons sea salt
Water to fill Pot
 
In a large pot combine all ingredients. Bring to a boil. reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes. Taste broth for saltiness and add more if needed. It just be just a little too salty for use to properly flavor the chicken. Continue simmering for 45 minutes. Strain into another large pot. 
 
Cover chicken so it doesn’t dry out and let cool until you can handle and then remove all of the bones, skin and fat. Set aside and use in soups and as desired. (DOUBLE MEAL TIP FROM BECKY: We used to eat the boiled chicken as we de-boned it dipped in soy sauce with a side of steamed potatoes and broccoli for dinner all the time growing up.)
 
Lentil Soup:
8 cups homemade broth (recipe above)
1 1/2 cups red or yellow lentils, raw
3 large stalks of celery, chopped
3 cups cooked garbanzo beans
Yield from 8 boiled chicken thighs (reserved from making broth)
 
In a large pot combine all ingredients except chicken and garbanzo beans. Bring to a boil and simmer 12 minutes or until celery and lentils are soft. Add chicken and garbanzo beans and salt to taste. 
 
The best part about this soup is that it freezes really well, so if you portion it out you can have healthy low-sal, low-sulphite lunches (or dinners, or lunches AND dinners) for a week or more!

October 21, 2013. Tags: , , , , , , , , , , . Uncategorized. 3 comments.