A Lifestylye Blog

Monday, January 13, 2014

Recipe of the Week-More Soup!

Easy Split Pea Soup

Click for more details on how to make this delicious soup!
This soup was really easy to make and tastes delicious. By variation of the ingredients mentioned in the recipe, this soup may be considered more of a lentil soup to some. It is my lunch recipe for this week and by way of my recent recipe posts, it's become quite apparent that I've been in a soup mood these past few weeks. They've been so easy for me and they are quite soothing in the middle of a busy work day.

Here are some fun nutrition facts about lentils:
  • They are in the legume family ( same as beans, soybeans, peanuts,) 
  • 1 cup cooked and boiled provides a whopping 16g of fiber. (men need 38g/d and women need 25g/d).
  • 1 cup cooked and boiled also provides 18g protein, 90% of daily folate and 37% daily iron
  • Lentils are definitely a super food in my book!



I recommend soaking your lentils overnight to help make them easier to digest and decrease the amount of cooking time spent trying to soften them. I was only able to soak mine for a few hours, but they still turned out tender. 




I added some leftover thawed ham from my freezer that was still attached to the bone into a pot full of pre-made Chicken broth. I know the chicken broth already had some flavor to it, but I wanted to soak the ham to add an extra boost. I need lots of flavor in my soup! This concoction soaked with the onions and bay leaves for about 30-40 minutes before I added the lentils and carrots.  

Check below for full ingredient list and preparation instructions:


Ingredients:
2 1/2 cups of lentils (I used a combination of split red lentils and whole green lentils)
2 1/2 quarts of broth of your choice
16 ounces of frozen ham attached to bone or Protein of your choice
3 cups carrots
1/2 large onion
3 minced cloves of garlic
1 tablespoon thyme
1 tablespoon oregano
1 tablespoon basil
2-3 bay leaves
salt and pepper to taste

Preparation:
Soak lentils overnight in 3 parts water 1 part apple cider vinegar in a medium sized bowl. On the next day, rinse lentils thoroughly making sure to check for any small stones. Stones can sometimes hide and resemble lentils just by nature of how this legume is harvested. In a large pot let broth, onions, bay leaves, and ham simmer for 30-40 minutes. After broth has simmered on a low boil for 30-40 minutes, add lentils to pot along with garlic, and seasonings. Allow lentils in broth to reach boiling point and then reduce heat to medium-low and let soup simmer for about 45min to 1 hr. Add carrots toward the end of soup cooking (about 25-30 min after lentils have been added) to ensure they do not become overcooked. Test soup after 45min to 1hr to see if lentils have reached desired softness.
Serve with your favorite side of bread and enjoy!


Bon Appétit!

xoxo Mary




References:
http://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/legumes-and-legume-products/4338/2
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