Lentil Soup with Sweet Potato, Cabbage, and Roasted Red Peppers

Adding to my ever-growing collection of different lentil soup recipes. Always a good bet for a winter night. You can substitute standard brown lentils for the lentilles du puy if you like; they will just need a bit longer to cook. I make roasted red peppers in the early fall and stash some in my freezer - they make a great flavor boost to dishes like this throughout the winter. And of course sweet potatoes and cabbage are winter storage staples, readily available at farmers markets or in winter CSAs. This makes a large batch and freezes well.

3 cups lentilles du puy (the little green ones)
Several cups of water and/or vegetable stock
1 Tbsp salt, or to taste
1 bay leaf
2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and diced
Olive oil
2 large shallots or a small onion, finely chopped
4-6 cloves garlic, minced
4 cups chopped green cabbage
6 ounces roasted red peppers, chopped
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
2 Tbsp white wine vinegar

Place the lentils in a soup pot. Add water or stock to cover them by at least two inches. Add salt and bay leaf. Bring to a boil, then simmer until tender, about 15-20 minutes. After about 10 minutes, add the sweet potatoes and continue to simmer.

While the lentils and sweet potatoes cook, heat a little olive oil in a skillet. Add the shallots (or onion) and garlic and saute over medium high heat for 2-3 minutes. Add the cabbage and continue to saute until it is tender but retains a little crunch.

Add the cabbage mixture to the lentils in the pot along with the roasted red peppers. Add additional water or stock if needed to reach desired consistency. Stir in black pepper and vinegar. Taste and adjust seasonings if needed.

Serves 6-8.

Slow Cooker Bean Soup from the Pantry with Dried Garden Herbs

This is a classic pantry soup, made largely with stuff you probably have sitting around already and little that is fresh. That said, if you do have fresh (or frozen, or canned) veggies on hand, feel free to throw in whatever you like. The part I really liked about this was getting out jars of herbs from the garden that I dried last summer and crumbling them fresh into the soup. My hands smelled like summer when I was done. This makes a big batch, perfect for freezing.

You can use a packaged soup mix of beans here if you like, or mix and match from your pantry (back beans, red beans, navy beans, pinto beans, lentils...it's all good). I included some absolutely lovely, creamy local beans from Crabapple Farm - the variety was called Marfax.

3-4 cups mixed dried beans and barley
Vegetable stock
1 medium onion, diced
6-8 cloves garlic, minced
1-2 Parmesan rinds (optional)
1/4 cup dried parsley
1-2 Tbsp dried oregano
1-2 Tbsp dried basil
Salt and pepper to taste
Good quality olive oil for topping (optional)

Place the bean and barley mix in the slow  cooker and add enough vegetable stock to cover by 2 inches (be more generous if you won't be able to check on the soup during the day). Add the onion, garlic, Parmesan rinds (if using), and the herbs.

Cook on high for 7-9 hours (longer is ok), until the beans are all completely tender. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Serve hot. If desired, drizzle with olive oil at the table.

Serves about 8.

Pureed Lentil Soup with Spinach and Bacon

Get the lentils started, then throw the rest of it together while they cook and it all comes together in about 30 minutes. I like this with the spinach, but it's also good without.

1 1/2 cups brown lentils
Chicken stock
Olive oil
2 medium-large onions, finely chopped
5-6 cloves garlic, minced
3-4 cups chopped tomatoes (canned, or thawed if frozen)
1 cup chopped cooked bacon
1/2 lb spinach, stemmed and chopped
1 Tbsp red wine vinegar
Salt and pepper to taste

Place the lentils and enough water to cover them by about one inch in a soup pot or Dutch oven. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer until tender.

While the lentils cook, heat a little olive oil in a skillet and saute the onions and garlic over medium-high heat for several minutes, until pleasantly browned. Add the onion mixture and the tomatoes to the lentils and continue to cook until the lentils are tender.

When the lentils are tender, puree the soup with an immersion blender (or do it in batches in a regular blender). Once pureed, stir in the bacon and spinach and cook until the spinach is wilted. Stir in the red wine vinegar and add salt and pepper to taste  Serve hot.

Serves 4-6.

Lentil Soup with Shiitakes and Spinach

Lentils form the base of many a nutritious winter soup, some adventurous, some traditional, all comforting. Here I took the shiitake mushrooms I was happily surprised to find at the winter farmers market alongside the fresh spinach and added brown rice and tomatoes, then gave it all a partial puree for a slightly chunky, porridge-y consistency. Perfect on a recent frigid night.

3 cups brown lentils
3 cups short grain brown rice
Chicken stock
Olive oil
2 medium onions, diced
6-8 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 lb shiitake mushrooms, stemmed and diced
3 cups tomatoes (canned or frozen; thawed if frozen)
1/4 - 1/2 tsp dried thyme
1/4 lb spinach, stemmed
Salt and pepper to taste

Place the lentils and rice in a soup pot and add enough chicken stock to cover generously. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer until lentils and rice are both tender, 30-45 minutes.

While the lentils and rice cook, heat a little olive oil in a medium skillet, then add the garlic and onions and saute for 1-2 minutes over medium-high heat. Add the shiitakes and saute until tender.

When the lentils and rice are cooked, add the shiitake mixture to the pot along with the tomatoes and thyme and bring the heat back up until the soup simmers. Use an immersion blender to partially puree the soup (or do this in batches in a regular blender), then add the spinach and cook until wilted. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Serves about 6.

Pureed Lentil Soup with Roasted Red Peppers and Fennel

This is a warming, hearty soup, and the flavor of the roasted red peppers really comes through in every bite. If you want a version that's less brown, try red lentils (they also cook faster, but don't have quite the same comforting heartiness of their brown cousins).

2 cups brown lentils
7-8 cups beef stock and/or water
Olive oil
4-6 cloves garlic, minced
1 medium onion, chopped
1 medium fennel bulb, cored and chopped
5-6 ounces roasted red peppers, chopped (~3 medium peppers)
2 Tbsp red wine vinegar
Salt and pepper

Place the lentils in a soup pot with 6 cups of water. Bring to a boil, then simmer until tender, about 30 minutes.

While the lentils cook, heat a little olive oil in a large skillet.  Add the garlic, onion, and fennel, and saute over medium heat, stirring frequently, until soft, about 10 minutes. Add the roasted roasted red pepper and set aside.

When the lentils are tender, stir in the vegetable mixture and the red wine vinegar. Puree using an immersion blender or carefully do it in batches in a regular blender. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Serves 4-6.

Variation: Substitute red lentils, chicken or vegetable stock, and white wine vinegar or sherry vinegar for a lighter texture and flavor.

Spanish-Style Lentil Stew with Red Pepper and Ham

And thus were finished the last of the Christmas ham leftovers.

Like many Mediterranean cuisines, ham is popular in Spanish food, as are sweet red peppers.  Here I rounded out the theme by seasoning with pimentón, which is Spanish sweet smoked paprika.  Pimentón is not available in Greenfield so I got mine via mail order.  If you don't have any, try substituting a combination of regular paprika and chili powder.  It's not the same, but it's passable.

Olive oil
5-6 cloves garlic, minced
1 large onion, diced
2 cups dry lentils
6+ cups chicken stock
3 red bell peppers, diced
2-3 cups diced cooked ham
1 tsp pimentón
Salt and pepper to taste

Heat a little olive oil in a soup pot.  Add the garlic and onion and saute over medium-high heat for 2-3 minutes.  Add the lentils and stock.  Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer until lentils are tender, about 30 minutes.  About 15 minutes into the lentil cooking time, add the red peppers, ham, and pimentón.  The peppers will cook until they nearly melt into the stew, in a good way, but if you like them crisper, wait and add them at the very end. When the lentils are nice and tender, taste the stew and add salt and pepper to taste.

Serves about 6.

Slow Cooker Lentil Tomato Soup with Bacon

Simple and hearty, really almost more of a stew than a soup.  You can, of course, make this on the stovetop instead of the slow cooker.  Saute the onions first instead of last, then add the other ingredients and simmer until the lentils are tender.  But if you start it in the slow cooker, this can be ready in 20 minutes once you get home from work.

1 1/2 cups brown lentils
4 cups cubed potatoes
3 cups crushed, ground, or chopped tomatoes (canned or frozen)
4 cups beef stock
Salt and pepper to taste
8 slices bacon
2 medium onions, chopped

Place lentils, potatoes, tomatoes, stock, and salt and pepper in the slow cooker.  Cook on high for 4-5 hours or low 7-9 hours.

Just before you are ready to serve the soup, cook the bacon until chewy (I do this under the broiler, using a rack over a pan, for about 6 minutes) and saute the onions until slightly browned.  Stir bacon and onions into the rest of the soup.  Add additional stock if desired.  Serve hot.

Serves about 6.

Lentil Soup with Sausage and Red Pepper

I could really feel fall in the air today.  Perfect for soup!  This made enough for two meals for my family, so I put the leftovers in the freezer for another day.

1 cup dry lentils
Water or chicken stock
2-3 medium potatoes, diced (no need to peel)
1 lb Italian sausage (hot or sweet), casings removed
6-8 cloves garlic, minced
2 large shallots or 1 medium onion, finely chopped
2 red bell peppers, finely chopped
2-3 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp dried thyme
Salt and pepper to taste

Place the lentils in a soup pot with 4 or 5 cups of water or chicken stock.  Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer.  After about 15 minutes, add the potatoes.

While the lentils and potatoes cook, brown the sausage in a large skillet.  Add the garlic and shallots or onion and continue to saute over medium high heat for 2-3 minutes.  Add the red pepper, oregano, and thyme and cook for another 3-5 minutes.

When the lentils are tender, add the sausage mixture to the soup pot.  Add additional water or stock as desired, plus salt and pepper to taste.

Serves 6-8.

Smoky Turkey and Lentil Chili

Turkey goes really well with smoky, spicy flavors, making it a natural for chili. I tossed in lentils instead of the usual beans for a change of pace, and it worked well. This makes a nice big batch to feed a crowd, but feel free to halve it.

Olive oil
8-10 cloves garlic, minced
2 medium onions, diced
2 Tbsp ground cumin
2 tsp chili powder
4-6 cups chopped tomatoes (canned or frozen - thawed first)
1 1/2 cups lentils
About 3 cups water
4 cups shredded cooked turkey
3 bell peppers, diced (red or green)
2-3 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, minced (or to taste)
Salt and pepper to taste
Sour cream and/or shredded cheddar for topping (optional)

Heat the olive oil in a large pot. Add the garlic and onion and saute over medium-high heat for 2-3 minutes. Add the cumin and chili powder and saute for another minute or so to toast the spices. Add the tomatoes and their liquid, then the lentils and enough water to comfortably cover them. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer until lentils are nearly tender, 20-25 minutes.

When the lentils are nearly tender, add the peppers and minced chipotles. Simmer until the peppers are tender, then add salt and pepper to taste.

Serve hot, topped with cheese or sour cream if desired. Serves 6-8.

Slow Cooker Chipotle Lentil and Squash Soup

The flavors of fall, with a smoky, spicy kick. I made this in my slow cooker, as described below, but you could also do it on the stovetop; in that case saute the onions and garlic first. Also note that you can either puree this or leave it chunky - if you choose to leave it chunky, be sure to minced the chipotle(s) well instead of leaving them whole. One chipotle will result in mild spiciness. Two will make it pleasantly hot. Three would probably be too much for my taste.

2 lbs butternut squash, peeled and cubed
1 cup brown lentils
2 medium onions, chopped
6-8 cloves garlic, minced
1 or more chipotle peppers in adobo
Chicken or vegetable stock
2-3 Tbsp cider vinegar
Salt and pepper to taste
Sour cream or plain yogurt for topping

Place the squash, lentils, onions, garlic, and chipotle(s) in the slow cooker. Add enough stock to comfortably cover. Cook on High for 8-10 hours. When lentils and veggies are tender, add cider vinegar and salt and pepper to taste. Puree using an immersion blender or in batches in a blender or food processor.

Serve topped with a dollop of sour cream or plain yogurt (which helps cut the heat of the chipotles).

Serves 4-6.

Spanish Style Lentil Soup with Chorizo, Red Pepper, and Kale

This one is definitely a keeper. Savory, hearty, smoky - and pretty to look at, too. Serve this with biscuits, popovers, or crusty bread. If you want to speed up the cooking process a bit, you can start the lentils cooking in water while you cook the garlic, shallots, and chorizo in a separate pan, then combine them.

Peppers, by the way, will be in season until we have a killing frost. Kale will go right into the winter.

Olive oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 medium shallots, finely chopped (or substitute a medium onion)
1 lb chorizo, casings removed
2 tsp paprika (substitute pimenton if you have it)
1 cup brown lentils
Water and/or stock (chicken or veg)
1 large sweet red pepper, diced
3 cups kale cut into ribbons (stems removed)
Salt and pepper to taste

Heat a little olive oil in a soup pot. Add the garlic and shallots and saute over medium-high heat for about 2 minutes. Add the chorizo, breaking it up as it cooks, and the paprika. When the chorizo is cooked through, pour of excess fat (I actually use a baster for this and suck it out of the pot). Add the lentils and enough water and/or stock to generously cover. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 25-30 minutes, until lentils are tender. Add the peppers and kale and simmer for 5 minutes or so, until tender. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Serves 4-6.

Lentil Barley Soup with Spinach and Shiitakes

Lentils and barley make a great, nutritious base for a soup to which you can add whatever types of vegetables are in season. In the winter I use root vegetables; in the spring, greens and mushrooms.

1 Tbsp olive oil
8-10 garlic scapes, sliced in rounds (or 5-6 cloves garlic, minced)
1/4 shiitake mushrooms, stemmed and sliced
3/4 cup pearl barley
1/2 cup brown lentils
Water and/or stock (vegetable or beef)
6-8 oz. spinach, stemmed and chopped
2 Tbsp soy sauce
2 Tbsp dry sherry
Salt and pepper to taste

Heat the olive oil in a large pot. Add the scapes and mushrooms and saute until tender, 3-5 minutes. Add the barley and lentils and enough water or stock to cover by about an inch. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer until lentils and barley are tender, about 25-30 minutes.

When the barley and lentils are tender, add the spinach and cook until wilted. Add the soy sauce and sherry, then salt and pepper to taste.

Serves about 6.

Savory Pureed Lentil Soup

I like lentil soup and stew in many forms, but this one might just be my new favorite. With tomatoes, garlic, and Italian herbs, it is quite zesty, and pureeing makes it a little different from a standard lentil soup - in a good way.

1 Tbsp olive oil
10-12 cloves garlic, minced
1 large onion, finely chopped
3 cups brown lentils
2 cups tomatoes and their liquid (canned, or thawed if frozen)
1 large potato, peeled and diced
1 bay leaf
Water and/or chicken or vegetable stock
2 tsp dried basil
2 tsp dried oregano
Salt and pepper to taste

Heat the olive oil in a large soup pot. Add the garlic and onion and saute over medium heat until soft, 4-5 minutes. Add the lentils, tomatoes, potato, and bay leaf to the pot, plus enough stock and/or water to cover by about an inch. Stir in the herbs. Bring to a boil, then simmer until the lentils are tender, about 30 minutes.

When the lentils are tender, remove the bay leaf, then puree the soup with an immersion blender (or in batches in a blender or food processor). You can leave it a little chunky if you like, or puree until fairly smooth. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve hot.

Serves about 6.

Hearty Mushroom Vegetable Stew

To my happy surprise, Paul Lagreze was at the farmers market again this past weekend with an array of mushrooms. In addition to his usual shiitakes, he had a good supply of oyster mushrooms and red caps, a huge and very tender mushroom with a flavor like that of porcini. Red caps and shiitakes form the flavor base of this stew, which is filled out with other fall vegetables, lentils, and local barley (available from Four Star Farms, and carried at Green Fields Market). Feel free to use whatever type of mushrooms you can get your hands on.

olive oil
2 medium onions, finely chopped
1/2 lb flavorful mushrooms, chopped
Several cups stock and/or water (I used beef stock, but veggie would work too)
3/4 brown lentils
3/4 cup barley
1 medium head celery, chopped
6 medium carrots, in rounds
Salt and pepper to taste

Heat a bit of olive oil in a large soup pot. Add the onions and saute for 2-3 minutes over medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms and saute for another 2-3 minutes. Add some stock and/or water, then the lentils and barley. Bring to a boil, then cover and simmer until the lentils and barley are tender (30 minutes or so). Add the celery and carrots and continue to cook until tender. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve hot.

Serves at least 6.

Lentil-Barley Salad with Snap Peas and Fennel

Hearty cold salads are great for hot night dinners. This one requires cooking the lentils and barley, but you can do that in the morning before it gets too hot and let them chill in the fridge until dinner time.

I used up the last of our snap peas on this, along with some of the fennel that is reaching a nice harvestable size right now. The recipe as given is pretty simple, but feel free to jazz it up with chopped fresh herbs (mint, parsley or basil would be good) and/or other vegetables, perhaps halved cherry tomatoes or shredded carrots.

1 cup uncooked brown lentils
1 cup uncooked pearl barley
5 cups water
2 cups snap peas, stringed and broken into 2 or 3 pieces
2 cups chopped fennel bulb
1/4 cup olive oil, or more to taste
1/4 cup red wine vinegar, or more to taste
Salt and pepper to taste

Combine the lentils, barley, and water in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer until tender but not too soft, about 25 minutes. Drain off any excess water and refrigerate.

When the lentils and barley have cooled, add the remaining ingredients and toss well. Serve cold or at room temperature.

Serves about 6.

Barley and Root Vegetable Soup

I love barley's nutty chewiness in soup. And barley vegetable soup is a classic. Simple and warming for a cold winter night.

1 Tbsp butter
6-8 cloves garlic, minced
1 large onion, finely chopped
2 medium potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 small celeriac root, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes (about 3 cups)
2-3 cups chopped carrots
1/2 cup uncooked pearl barley
3/4 cup dry lentils
Water or stock (veg, chicken, or beef)
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 Tbsp sherry
Plenty of freshly ground black pepper
Salt to taste

Melt the butter in a soup pot. Add the garlic and onion and saute for 2-3 minutes. Add the potatoes, celeriac, carrots, barley, and lentils, then enough water or stock to cover with an inch or so additional on top. Bring to a boil, then simmer until the lentils, barley, and veggies are all tender (20-30 minutes).

When everything is tender, add the soy sauce, sherry, and pepper. Taste and add salt if desired. Serve hot.

Serves about 6.

Ginger-Sage Lentils and Barley with Greens

Pantry items plus early season greens is where we seem to be at the moment... This is adapted from a recipe in Didi Emmons's Vegetarian Planet. The flavor combination may sound odd, but it's delicious. If you're feeling lazy or rushed, just mince the garlic and ginger. Don't substitute olive oil for the canola, as the flavor is too strong (other neutral oils are fine).

1 cup pearl barley
1 Tbsp butter
1-2 Tbsp canola oil
8-10 cloves garlic, julienned
1 1-inch chunk ginger, peeled and julienned
1 medium onion, sliced lengthwise
1 cup red lentils
1 tsp salt
Pepper to taste
2-3 tsp dried sage
1/2 lb spinach or other greens, stemmed

Heat 3 cups of water in a medium saucepan. When it comes to a boil, add the barley and reduce the heat to a simmer with the pan partially covered. Cook until the water is absorbed and the barley is tender, about 25 minutes.

While the barley cooks, heat the butter and canola oil in a large skillet. Add the garlic, ginger, and onion, and cook 5-6 minutes. Add the lentils, salt, pepper, and sage and cook, stirring, for a minute or so. Add 1 cup water and bring to a boil, then lower to a simmer. Cover and cook until the lentils are tender, about 6-8 minutes (check and stir occasionally to be sure they don't burn and stick). When the lentils are done, increase the heat to medium-high and add the spinach or other greens (you may have to do this in batches), cooking until just wilted. Remove from heat.

When the barley is done, combine all ingredients in a large serving bowl. Serve hot.

Serves about 4.

Update, 3/16/09: Thanks to the person who noticed I didn't include the amount of water to add to the lentils--it's in there now.

Italian Lentil Soup

This is an easy recipe and a great vehicle for root vegetables--plus some of the greens starting to become available again. I often make it in the slow cooker, but it does just fine on the stove top, too. The quantities are very flexible and forgiving, so work with whatever you've got on hand. You can always add or substitute potatoes, turnips, or whatever else you like.

3 cups brown lentils
3 cups or so canned or frozen tomatoes, chopped
1-2 cups diced celeriac
2 large carrots, in 1/4-inch rounds
1 large onion, chopped
10-12 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbsp salt, plus more to taste
Pepper to taste
1 Tbsp dried oregano
1 Tbsp dried basil
1 tsp dried thyme
3-4 cups coarsely chopped greens (spinach, kale, chard--whatever)
2 Tbsp red wine vinegar

Combine all ingredients except for the greens and vinegar in the slow cooker or a large soup pot. Add water to generously cover. In the slow cooker, cover and cook on low for 7-9 hours. On the stove, bring to a boil, then simmer over low heat for 45-60 minutes.

At the end of the cooking period, add the greens and cook until wilted. Stir in the vinegar, then taste and adjust seasonings if needed.

Serves at least 6.

Middle Eastern Chickpea and Red Lentil Soup

This is one of those pantry-based dishes...plus some local red onions and garlic, and cilantro from the freezer.

Lately I have been cooking up large batches of chickpeas, black beans, etc. and freezing some for uses like this. It's easy enough to cook up, say, several cups of chickpeas and use some for a batch of hummus, some for this soup, and put some in the freezer for next time.

6-8 cloves garlic, minced
1 large red onion, chopped
1-2 Tbsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
2 cups cooked chickpeas
3/4 cup red lentils
1/2 cup bulgur wheat (substitute quinoa if you like)
1 veggie bouillon cube (optional)
1/4 cup lemon juice
2-3 frozen cilantro cubes
Salt and pepper to taste

Heat a little olive oil in a soup pot and saute the garlic and onion for 3-4 minutes. Add the cumin and coriander and saute a minute or so longer. Add the chickpeas, lentils, bulgur, and bouillon cube. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer until the lentils and bulgur are tender, about 15 minutes. Add the lemon juice, cilantro, and salt and pepper.

Serves 4-5.

Middle Eastern Style Lentil Soup with Greens

This is what I did yesterday with part of the cilantro bunch I saved out to use fresh, along with chard from the garden, which has survived the last new nights' frost just fine. This is a quick and easy recipe.

1 cup dried brown lentils
½ cup dried quinoa
7-8 cups water
8-10 cloves garlic, minced
1 medium onion, chopped
1-2 Tbsp ground cumin
2 veggie bouillon cubes
4-5 cups coarsely chopped chard (leaves only)
1 – 1 ½ cups chopped fresh cilantro, loosely packed
¼ cup lemon juice
1-2 tsp salt
Freshly ground black pepper to taste

Place the lentils and quinoa in a soup pot with about 7 cups of water. Bring to a boil, then simmer over low heat for about 15 minutes.

Add the garlic and onions to the pot. Add the cumin and bouillon cubes. Bring the soup to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer until the onions and garlic are very tender, about 10 minutes.

Stir in the chard, cilantro, lemon juice, salt, and pepper. If needed, add more water to reach the desired consistency. Simmer until the greens are tender, about 5-8 minutes. Remove from heat and serve.

Serves about 4.