Lentil Recipes
Lentil Soup – Spanish Style
As potassium rich foods go, this is a double winner. Loaded not only with lentils, but with tomato and potatoes, should you desire. Very filling on a cold winter night and tested with finicky children, who love it. You really can’t go wrong here.
Ingredients
2 Cups of dried lentils
1 onion, chopped
4 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
3 Celery stalks, chopped
2 carrots, chopped
1 large potato, diced into small pieces
1 Cut of bacon, ham or sausage – or a combination
1 Can of tomatoes, or the equivalent in fresh tomatoes (peeled and seeded if you’re up to it)
2 cups of beef stock
8 cups of water (more or less)
Season to taste with oregano, bay leaf and salt – or other herbs
2 spoons of olive oil
Pour the olive oil into the bottom of a large stewpot, and add the chopped onion. Cook until very translucent.
Add the sausage, ham and/or bacon. Cook until the edges of the meat get brown and a bit crispy.
Add the bay leaf, garlic, onions, celery and carrot, and cook over medium heat for 3 to 5 minutes.
Add the tomatoes and lentils, stir in. Add the carrots.
Finally, add the water and the soup stock, along with remaining ingredients except potatoes.
Make sure that everything is well covered in water, cover and simmer.
After about 40 minutes, add the potatoes.
Continue cooking at least until potatoes are soft and the lentils are ready.
To make this soup thicker, let it cool a bit after a few hours of simmering. Take a few cups out (try to avoid taking out the meat) and mix them in a blender until smooth. Return that to the pot. This will give it a thicker texture, and blends the flavors as well.
Enjoy!