Lentil Soup

Lentils are another nutrition powerhouse.  So I'm trying to incorporate them into our diet more.  Aside from being nutritious they taste great!  For dinner last night I made lentil soup.  I got the idea from Naturally Knocked Up, but I didn't totally follow her recipe.  When I made it I was just going from memory...so it ended up a bit different than hers.  One main thing I forgot was tomatoes.  But it was still great!  I think Rebecca ate more than Justin and I did :P  She just loves beans/lentils.  And anything with broth :)  I added chicken to ours too.  This makes a ton.  So we've got some leftover and some in the freezer.  If you're looking for healthy, affordable food, this is it.  I'll post the way I made the soup.

Although not necessary, it's better if you soak your lentils first.  This takes care of the phytates and enzyme inhibitors so your body can actually absorb and use the nutrients in the lentils.  Since lentils are so small they don't need a super long soak time like most legumes.

To soak/cook lentils:

Pour lentils into a clean jar or bowl, cover with warm water, and add 2 Tbsp whey (or other acidic medium like vinegar or lemon juice) per 2 cups of lentils. Soak for about 8 hours, then drain and rinse. Place your rinsed lentils in a pot and cover with water. Simmer for 45 minutes to 1 hour or until bite tender (if you are making the soup you don't have to do the cooking step...just put them into the soup after the soaking).

Lentil Soup

1/2 cup chopped onion
1/4 cup olive oil
4 diced carrots
2 tsp garlic powder
1 bay leaf
2 cups of soaked lentils
1 cup frozen peas
1 cup frozen corn
1-2 cups cooked chicken
4-6 cups liquid (a mix of water and broth)
2 tsp. sea salt
pepper to taste

In a large pot, add oil, onions and carrot.  Cook until onion is tender and translucent.

Stir in lentils, bay leaf, garlic powder water/broth, chicken and frozen veggies. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer for at about 1 hour (testing at 30 minutes and again at 45 minutes to make sure the lentils don’t over cook...mine took about 40 minutes.)(also, don’t add the salt in until the lentils have finished cooking as it will prevent them from softening). Just before you’re ready to serve, season to taste with salt and pepper.