Recommending: Fridge-Clearing Lentil Soup

Recently I came across a recipe for "Fridge-Clearing Lentil Soup" on thekitchn.com and tried it...

The soup was delicious, hearty, filling, and inexpensive.
I've found that some lentil soups are just...bland. But this soup was rich with flavor.

The recipe is intentionally flexible so you can use whatever vegetables you have in the fridge. I was able to use up some of the fresh ginger I'd had hanging around for a couple weeks. I also tossed in some steamed french-cut green beans leftover from a previous meal.

My soup was not the color of the soup in the picture with the recipe (the author's addition of kale made for a more green-colored soup).

For the variable ingredients, I used: 
Instead of the optional bacon - 3 oz (one package) chipped beef 
Liquid - 4 cups chicken stock + 4 cups water
Fridge-clearing vegetables -  4 cups broccoli + 1/2 cup carrots + 1/4 cup leftover green beans

It took around 40 minutes to cook the vegetables till they were tender to my taste.

I'd say it made around 12 servings of soup. I froze a third of it for later and used the rest for lunches and a couple dinners.

It was so delicious served with a dollop of plain yogurt.

Sound interesting? Tasty? Check out the recipe here: Fridge-Clearing Lentil Soup at thekitchn

Enjoy!

Sausage Bean Soup

This is palate-friendly soup...

Such a tasty, semi-spicy (but not hot-spicy) soup--a spin-off of a Mexican black bean soup.

Place a bowl of this steaming soup before you, and your nose will be greeted with the aroma of tender mixed vegetables, zesty cumin, savory oregano, and just a hint of some spicy, somehow-sweet whole cloves. This soup has an agreeably pungent yet smooth taste. It's wholesome and filling, with a variety of textures (crisp corn kernels, soft beans, luscious tomatoes) and colors. This soup is just plain tasty, and you should try it.

Soup == Inexpensive: I like that homemade soups are (generally) an inexpensive food. I can make a significant amount, serving some immediately and freezing the rest for a rainy day.

Chicken stock: For this soup, I use homemade chicken stock, which is low in sodium. If you use the canned/boxed variety, or if you mix up some water with bouillon, you may not need the added salt the recipe includes.

Sausage: I use about 1/2 of a Bob Evans Original Recipe Pork Sausage roll. When I first made this soup, I cooked all the sausage, crumbling it, to use some in an omelette. I saved the rest and made this soup the next day. I assume that a different type of meat could be used (or no meat at all), but the sausage flavor is definitely distinctive--it's a key component.

Drain the tomatoes: You'll notice in the recipe that I say to drain the can of diced tomatoes. This action is important--the excess liquid is unnecessary for the soup. Don't overdo it: all you need to do is empty the can into a mesh strainer over the sink. Tilt the strainer and shake it just slightly. Don't smash the tomatoes. Allow the obvious juice to drain out. Then transfer the tomatoes (and any juice that's left with them) into the pot. This process should only take a minute.

Sides: Biscuits or rolls.

Toppings: Plain yogurt or grated/shredded cheese.

Sausage Bean Soup
Estimated Total Time: 1 hour
Serves: 4 - 6

Ingredients

• 1 large onion
• 1/2 large bell pepper
• 3 medium carrots
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 3 whole cloves
• 1 teaspoon coarse salt
• 1 cup cooked and crumbled sausage
• 1 cup frozen corn
• 4 cups chicken stock (low sodium)
• 3 teaspoons minced garlic
• 2 bay leaves
• Freshly-ground black pepper
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/4 teaspoon celery seed
• 1-2 tablespoons fresh cilantro
• 1 can (15.5 oz) kidney beans
• 1 can (15.5 oz) black beans
• 1 can (15 oz) diced tomatoes
• Plain yogurt (optional garnish)

Instructions

1. Rinse and dry the onion, bell pepper, and carrots. Peel the carrots if desired. Dice the onion, and halve then dice one half of the bell pepper. Thinly slice the carrots. Set aside.

2. Rinse and dry the fresh cilantro. Chop it small, then set it aside.
3. In 5-quart stockpot, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion, bell pepper, carrots, whole cloves, and kosher salt. Saute for 2 minutes, stirring often.
4. Add the cooked and crumbled sausage, and heat for 6 minutes until vegetables are becoming tender.

5. Stir in the frozen corn, and heat it for 2 minutes. Stir often.

6. Stir in 1/2 cup of the chicken stock. Add  the minced garlic. Break the bay leaves in half, and add them to the pot. Stir in the ground cumin, dried oregano, celery seed, and several twists of freshly-ground black pepper. Simmer for 3-5 minutes, stirring often.

7. Add the freshly-chopped cilantro.

8. Stir in the rest of the chicken stock (4 cups total). Drain and gently rinse the kidney beans and black beans, and add them to the pot. Pour the can of diced tomatoes into a strainer/colander and discard the juice that readily drains from them. Transfer the diced tomatoes to the pot. Stir.

9. Turn heat to medium-high. Heat until the soup begins to simmer.
10. Cover and cook on low for about 20 minutes.

11. Remove the bay leaves and whole cloves (if you can find them) before serving the soup. Do not eat them.

12. Serve with salt and pepper to taste and garnish with a dollop of plain yogurt, if desired.

Enjoy!

Spinach Lentil Chicken Soup

How about some soup?

I like the flavor of this thick, hearty soup: The curry powder and cumin combine with the lentils to create a dish with an Indian-style look and taste.

I found the idea for this recipe on allrecipes-dot-com. However, I tweaked what I found significantly to work with the ingredients I had available...and to work with the taste I wanted to achieve.

The spices are key to the flavor of this soup. The lentils will take on whatever flavors they're cooked with--on their own, they're somewhat bland. I use just enough crushed red pepper flakes to add some heat, then I sprinkle in cumin and curry powder. Taste the soup a few times as it cooks, and if it seems to need more spices, add a little more of the cumin or curry powder (or both).

You could use fresh spinach instead of frozen spinach, I'm sure. Probably a whole 8-10 ounce bag would do it. In the case of fresh spinach, you may have to cook it in a skillet before adding it to the soup. I don't know if the heat of the soup will wilt it enough. I'll have to try that out.

To thaw a box of spinach, you can set it out on the counter when you start preparing the meal. If necessary, take it out of the box, place it in a microwave-safe bowl, and microwave it briefly to finish the thawing process before adding it to the soup. The heat of the soup will finish thawing some of it, of course, but the soup will be ready more quickly if the spinach goes into it fully thawed.

A word about chicken and beef broth/stock: Unless you make your own broth or stock using discarded vegetable pieces or chicken bones, you'll can save money if you use bouillon cubes and water to create broth instead of buying packaged broth or stock in the store. Generally, you add 1 cube of bouillon (I use Herb Ox brand) to 1 cup of water to make 1 cup of broth. However, you can stretch the amount by using more water, particularly if the dish you're making has various other flavorings or spices (you won't need the same amount of saltiness and seasoning from the bouillon).

Side Ideas: Bread or crackers. This soup is filling, so it can be a main course dish.

Freeze It: I made this recipe for two people, so froze about a half of it in a freezer bag. You can put some away for a rainy day when you want something to warm you up.

Substitutions: Substitute other meats for the chicken, if you like. I use about a cup of cubed (small) chicken, but other options are cooked ground beef, kielbasa, and ham. A cup is probably a good measurement, but do what sounds tastiest to you. It's your food--the recipe is just a list of suggestions. You could even leave out the meat entirely.

Spinach Lentil Chicken Soup
Estimated time: 45 - 60 minutes
Serves: 8 - 10

Ingredients

• 1 box frozen chopped spinach
• 8 cups water
• 1 beef bouillon cube
• 3 chicken bouillon cubes
• 2 teaspoons vegetable oil
• 1 cup uncooked chicken, cubed small
• 1 onion, diced small
  
• 1 carrot, chopped small
• 1/4 Teaspoon (or less) crushed red pepper flakes
• 1 teaspoon cumin (add more if you desire)
  
• 1 teaspoon curry powder (add more if you desire)
• 1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
• 1-1/2 cups dry lentils
• 1/3 cup uncooked white rice

Instructions

1. Set out the box of frozen spinach to thaw.
2. Prepare broth by dissolving the beef and chicken bouillon cubes in some or all of the 8 cups of water.
3. Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the cubed chicken and cook thoroughly, about 5 minutes (depending on the thickness of the meat).
4. Stir in the diced onion and chopped carrots. Add the balsamic vinegar, crushed red pepper flakes, cumin, and curry powder. Cook and stir until vegetables are tender.
5. Slowly stir in the prepared water-bouillon broth.
6. Add the lentils and uncooked white rice. Stir well.
7. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer uncovered for 20-30 minutes until rice is done and lentils are quite tender.
8. Finish thawing the spinach, drain it some and pull it apart with a fork.
9. Stir the thawed spinach into the soup. Cook for 5 minutes, till the spinach is heated through.
10. Serve it up with slices of your favorite bread (or whatever you have on hand) or some crackers. 
11. Season soup with salt and pepper, according to individual tastes, if necessary.

Enjoy!